Facade of Order
by Emertheawesome
Summary: In an island off the shore of the mainland resides Sesshomaru, the leader of a mercenary band of warriors. One night a vicious storm wrecks a ship off the coast, leaving one survivor. She is young, alone, and she can't remember a thing. AU.
1. A Sea, a Ship, and a Girl

**A/N: **Unbetad. Disclaimer for entire story: I do not own, or lay claim, to Inuyasha. For future reference, there will be fictional characters of my own making in this series. Also, I don't actually have internet, so updates will be sporadic. Say hello to my first true multi-chapter fic.

~W~

Façade of Order

~W~

"Real discoveries from chaos."

~Chuck Palahniuk

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul."

~Judy Garland

~W~

The island was small, stationed some miles off the coast of the main land, split by treacherous waters and questionable creatures. Ships never passed through and the boats that crossed were always manned by the bravest and most skilled sailors, Sesshomaru saw to this.

It was necessary, the separation. One did not run a militant compound that was easily accessible to opposing forces. Secrecy was of utmost importance, and Sesshomaru treasured that. The island was not small by any means. Thin forest and long sloping meadows fed the herds they kept to sustain the men and their wives. In between simple buildings—an armory, a kitchen, a minute medical shed, quarters for the single men, houses for the married—lay gardens bursting with herbs and vegetables.

On the outer edge of the simple wooden dwellings were fenced off dirt pitches, filled always with the clatter of swords, the thump of fists, and the strained grunts of men as they honed skills already close to perfect.

Sesshomaru watched them with a keen eye; his hands clasped sedately behind his back and face impassive as he studied each man's strength and weakness.

Beside him stood Toku, an older advisor with broad shoulders and weather-worn cheeks. He closely resembled the boar of his demon heritage.

"The wind's been acting odd today," Toku muttered, scanning the sky warily. Clouds hung low and bloated, draping across the fields and ocean as though their weight was too much to bare.

"Hn," replied Sesshomaru flatly. "As long as it does not delay the supply vessel."

On the side of the island facing the bulk of sea were docks for the larger ship, the _Taisho Tsukino, _which traded with other ports further down the coast.

"Perhaps," Toku mused, his cropped locks mussed as another strong gust of wind ripped through the training grounds. Sesshomaru calmly tucked his own silver hair back, securing it with a leather strap at the base of his neck. "But I'm sure they will weather it fine. Good crew."

Sesshomaru didn't deign to respond, instead turning to stride away to the armory. Toku watched the younger man with a wry smile on his chapped lips. "That boy needs to lighten up," he murmured to himself. Then he turned around to belt a shout at one of the boys training. "Don't think I didn't see you lower your fists, Kyoharu! If I have to whip that lesson into you I will!"

O o o o o o o

After checking the armory to ensure all the weapons from the morning's training had been put away as directed, Sesshomaru decided to visit the medical hut. As the leader of their small but fierce group he ensured that every aspect was taken care of personally, even for something as simple as sunburn poultices. He frowned as the wind picked up to a deafening howl, grasping at his tunic and breeches viciously.

If Sesshomaru was a suspicious man he would believe the wind was unnatural. The morning had begun clear and warm. Only in the afternoon had the weather worsened so drastically, the wind gaining a taunting feel to it. Fortunately Sesshomaru believed in logic and strength, and _not _unnaturally spiteful winds.

Stepping into the small space afforded some relief from the buffeting gale; through it could still be heard pounding through the thin walls. A friendly fire crackled in the hearth and Kaede, the resident healer woman, dozed in wicker chair before it. The three linen pallets lay empty, and behind them was shelf upon shelf filled with pots, glass bottles, dried herbs and various tools. Experience told Sesshomaru that poultices and medicines filled those plaster bowls and ornate bottles, though as to their purposes he could only guess. He was a warrior, not a medicine man.

His intention had been to question Kaede about the sufficiency of her supplies, but her dozing figure told him that could wait for another day. If there was anything truly urgent she would seek him out. Leaving the shed was a slam in the face. Rain lashed at his skin and the wind screamed madly. Rivulets of water streamed through the beaten dirt pathways creating mud and tricky puddles. In the gloom of the gale Sesshomaru could see Toku striding towards him.

"Sesshomaru!" Toku shouted, squinting to avoid the stinging rain. "I've sent the boys down to lash the boats to the cliff face! This storm is too strong to ignore!"

Sesshomaru nodded in understanding. "Have one of the men double check the livestock; then have all of them assemble in the meeting hall. We will remain there until it calms."

"The women and youngsters are already there. Head there and I'll follow shortly after."

Both men set in different directions, Toku to find a boy and Sesshomaru to the meeting hall. The wind grappled with him, but Sesshomaru sloshed his way through it. Reaching the hall was a relief, though he had to restrain the door from whipping open violently as he entered. The eyes of women ranging from young to crone age fell upon him as he entered, dripping on the sanded cedar floor. A few other sopping men warmed themselves by the fire, cradling mugs of tea and coffee to their numbed lips.

Sesshomaru nodded in acknowledgement before situating himself on the floor against the opposing wall. The combined heat of the hearth and people kept the large area warm and comfortable, despite his soaked state. A few minutes later Toku entered with another gaggle of men, stomping boots and wringing jackets. Wives and daughters swarmed to see to their comfort, and Toku advanced upon Sesshomaru's resting place.

Warm brown eyes rested thoughtfully on the dog demon before laughing genially. "Not even a cup of tea, Sesshomaru? I promise it won't weaken you."

Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow, but shrugged. "It is not necessary."

Toku leaned against the wall beside him, adding the puddle Sesshomaru had already started on the floor. "Unnecessary, maybe, but no one would fault your enjoyment and comfort from it."

Sesshomaru didn't deign to respond, instead watching men receive comfort and attention from the females. Wives fawned over husbands, daughters smiled timidly at the younger men—newer recruits—while offering them a warm drink and a towel. Meanwhile the building shivered with each thrust the wind sought to throw, barraging the timber mercilessly.

"The shrine will be receivin' plenty of visitors after this," observed Toku.

"You say so?" Sesshomaru responded mildly, amber eyes glowing thoughtfully in the dim chamber.

"A storm this fierce, this unnatural—? You can be assured of it. Hardened warriors they may be, but don't fault them for clinging to faith."

"They should spend more time honing their skills."

Toku scowled, shifting his arms to cross his barrel of a chest. "They spend enough time at that. These men are as trained as they'll get, let them make an offering and a prayer every so often. You know the importance of morale."

If anyone knew the importance of morale, it was Sesshomaru. He had tried to impose his own simple lifestyle on others in the beginning, only for it to create opposition and depression. Concessions, within reason, had to have been made—leading to the women on the island, the shrines, and the occasional dance. Toku had taken to playing a lilting pipe during these miniature festivals, and Sesshomaru had taken to sitting in the corner stoically.

"Not a superstitious man myself," muttered Toku, "but this wind ain't be seemin' natural. There's something malicious about it."

"Don't be rudimentary, Toku."

Toku snorted, but his posture remained tense, and his ears keen to the howling outside. Occasionally another man would slip into the hall, weary and shivering, after completing some chore or another. Sesshomaru watched all this calmly with the knowledge that his men were trained well enough to execute perfection without instructions.

Periodically another man would leave to check on restraints and fences and a few of the other people inhabiting other buildings. The chatter died down to a low murmur and then silence as a few drifted off to a fitful sleep and others stared pensively into the fire. Toku silently slid down the wall to lounge beside Sesshomaru, who remained as vigilantly awake as ever. The bear youkai began to drowse when a loud shout could be heard from outside followed by the door banging open.

Sesshomaru was on his feet faster than lightening, Toku up a mere second later.

"What is the meaning of this panic," Sesshomaru questioned intently, unsatisfied with the young man's desperation.

The young man, Sen, gasped, his face pale and terrified. "A ship!" He finally breathed out. "There's a ship out there, and I think they're sinking."

Silence last for only a split moment, enough for everyone to absorb the horror of the proclamation, before Sesshomaru began lashing out orders. Immediately men donned their jackets, set their mugs down, and filed urgently out of the hall. Sesshomaru led the way, his long legs deftly carrying him through the wind and over the streaming eddies of rainwater.

"Wake Kaede!" Sesshomaru ordered Sen. The rest grabbed supplies: furs, stretchers, bandages. Sen had pointed seaward, and the path there was slick and uneven. Boots squelched and men tumbled gracelessly through the muck. The path steepened as they closed in on the beach. Sen had seen the ship from the cliffs southward, but the closest path was through the eastern fields, so they trekked steadily and efficiently until they reached the pebbled shore. A single file line trailed along the cliff face, the waves reaching for them hungrily. The sky and sea were so dark as to barely be distinguished from each other, though it shouldn't have quite been nightfall yet.

Sesshomaru scanned the waves silently. Nothing caught his eye, and he was going to be severely displeased if the young man had been imagining things in his superstitious fear.

Then the cries reached them.

With the wind it should have been impossible to hear their voices, but somehow the gale carried it just right so they could hear the screams and pleas for help. Rounding a sharp corner left them in full view of the sinking ship, hull high in the waves with the other half being sucked quickly into the angry sea. A low moan of stressed timber filled the air, followed a piercing crack as one of the masts split in half, dipping into the swirling black of the waves.

"We won't be able to reach any by boat," shouted Sesshomaru, "not with the storm. Fan out and wait for them to wash up. Do not get near the waves otherwise!"

The screams continued, yet the men retained their bearing, scanning the beach for any human crawling ashore. Time seemed to slow and planks and nets began to cast themselves upon the slate gray pebbles. A chest followed, then a large piece of ripped white linen that must have once been a sail. Cold seeped in, but Sesshomaru ignored it.

Finally a dark figure was released unceremoniously from the wave's greedy grasp. Two men rushed forward to pull the figure out. They dragged it halfway up the beach before checking the person over. After a few seconds they both stood, and Sesshomaru knew the human was dead by the way they deposited the body behind them against the rocky face.

After that more humans washed ashore, but none were alive. A line of bloated corpses began to trail against the slate edge of the cliff—pale, beaten, and slumped over as though napping on each other's shoulders. Finally the bodies stopped appearing, and with a nod the men began to carry the ones found across the beach and up to their small establishment. The bodies would be stored in an outer shed until sufficient graves could be dug and a small ceremony could be planned. They would not cross into the spirit world without guidance.

Sesshomaru took another lingering look at the ocean. The ship had disappeared beneath the violent currents, and only the churning ocean and debris strewn beach were all that was left of it. With a sharp turn of his heel Sesshomaru followed his men to deposit the bodies and attempt.

O o o o o o o o o o o

Sesshomaru's chamber was not a standalone structure, but instead stationed off the edge of the barracks. It was a mere closet of space, retaining only a pallet and chest to carry his spare clothes and personal items. Propped gently against the far were his two swords Tenseiga and Tokijin.

A usual routine would consist of him undressing followed by washing away the dirt and grime from the day with a bucket of icy water he would bring with him. Exhaustion overcame him though. Sesshomaru stripped, toweled off, then slipped beneath the soft furs of his bed, uncaring that his soaked hair would dampen the pillow.

Sleep was fitful. Around midnight the winds calmed and the tremendous chatter of nightlife rose—the proclaiming owls and serenading crickets. Buildings and vegetation dripped in a steady melody, seemingly unaffected by the recent storm.

At dawn Sesshomaru rose, dressing in loose clothes and striding out of the barracks as his men slept deeply around him. The night had been late and strenuous so he would let them rest a little bit longer. He was not so lax himself, adjourning to the training grounds despite their muddy state and beginning to stretch. He was halfway through his third maneuver with the sun casting a peach glaze across the sky when Toku found him.

"Not surprised to see you out here," the larger man greeted amiably.

Sesshomaru finished his maneuver before straitening and picking his way over to Toku. Mud splattered his boots and breeches.

"Toku." Sesshomaru replied stoically, "The men are waking?"

Toku grinned. "Of course. Probably chowin' down breakfast right now. What do you wish to do with them today?"

"We will scour the beach again. A few of the younger men will begin to dig graves. We will need that shed sanitized before shearing begins."

The boar demon hummed thoughtfully, eyes glinting as he eyes the mucked practice yard. "Too bad we don't have more time. I would've loved to have a match with you; seen your fine hair muddied."

Sesshomaru smirked at him. "Highly doubtful, Toku. Though I'm sure you could get one of the younger women to launder your outfit after I was through with you."

Toku guffawed and stepped away. "No need for that today, master of the island. There is business to follow."

"Indeed," Sesshomaru bit, glaring at the unnecessary reminder. "Uncouth Boar."

Toku belted out another laugh before swaggering away, probably headed off to the kitchen flirt a few extra cakes out of Tsubaki's tight hands. Sesshomaru watched him with a sigh, shaking his head in exasperation before following. He had his own breakfast to see to. His strength would need to be fueled for today would be a long day.

The sun was high in the sky when they set forth, once again toting stretchers, as well as empty plywood crates to store any miscellaneous items they could possibly find useful. The path was still slick with mud, but nowhere near as treacherous now that it was sunny daylight with only a slight, playful breeze. The briny smell reached Sesshomaru's nose, and he resisted sniffing as he also caught the scent of sodden wood and salted skin.

More items—chests, clothes, boxes—had washed up, as well as a few more bodies. Their skin glared a bright, pasty blue in the sunlight, seemingly out of place in what was normally a peaceful place. Sesshomaru strode down the beach, checking on the chests and crates that had washed up. One was filled with damp silks, ruined by the seawater. Another had been filled with a manuscript of some sort, now illegible with wet, all the pages clinging together.

Sesshomaru ordered it all back to the village to be officially sorted through later. Perhaps it was a merchant ship that sunk.

A shout distracted from further down the beach caught his attention. A man huddled over the prone figure of someone splayed across the shore. Another ran over with a blanket, followed by two more with a stretcher. A survivor.

Sesshomaru strode over calmly. The rest of the men continued to collect and sort debris, excluding the small group that tended the lone boy. His hair was long and loose, curled wildly over delicate, wan features. Perhaps someone's son, or a cabin boy. His attire consisted of a flowing, off-white smock tucked into fitted breeches, which were held up by a deep purple wrap that was tightly bound his waist.

Gently his men lifted the boy's slight figure onto the stretcher, tucking a thick blanket in around him before turning to Sesshomaru.

"Kaede."

They nodded, and two men picked up their burden with practiced ease, striding down the beach until they were out of sight around the turn. The other two men stood and strode off to continue searching. Sesshomaru stared out into the sea thoughtfully, pondering the answers he would receive from the one survivor.

O o o o o o o o

Kaede rose as her door swung open, revealing two bulky men with a stretcher in-between.

"A survivor, hm?" Kaede asked, not expecting an answer. Swiftly the men placed the stretcher on the paneled floor, stepping back as Kaede kneeled over the boy, studying him with the keen eye of a healer.

"I'll need him out of these clothes, and I'll need you two to do it. Agility has left me in my old age."

They came forward, undressing the boy awkwardly to reveal scraped and bruised arms, a slim body, and a bandaged chest. Kaede's good eye flashed and narrowed as she stared the slim waist and rounded hips. Before they could unwrap the bandage and the loin cloth Kaede stopped them.

"Out," she ordered sternly, and both men nodded, padding out of the room. Before the last one left he paused.

"She's clenching something in her hand. Couldn't get her to open her fist." Then he was gone and the door shut with a resounding thud.

"Not all brawn then," Kaede muttered, impressed with their skills of observation. It was only half a thought though as she focused on the slim, battered figure of the girl who had been disguised as a boy. As the man had said her fingers were tightly curled around an unidentifiable object, knuckles white and wrist tense. Whatever it was must have been important for the girl to not release it even half dead.

With a sigh Kaede proceeded to strip the girl of her meager rags, wrapping her scrapes and covering her with a linen sheet and thick, warm fur. After stoking the fire Kaede gently lowered herself to her wicker chair, staring at the girl thoughtfully.

"You have quite the story to tell, young one," she whispered to herself as the girl's rattling breath echoed throughout the small room.


	2. A Slumbering Riddle

Façade of Order

~0~

"_It began in mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lies in between."_

_-Diane Ackerman_

~0~

The sun was high and warm by the time they stopped their search. Sesshomaru blinked up at him and the soothing sea breeze tangled his hair lazily. He had already ordered the men to leave, and with them they carried chests and crates filled with various artifacts. A few more men carried bodies—wrapped in dirty linen—that had washed up later. So far only the boy had survived, and it was questionable how long he would last.

Toku waited patiently for Sesshomaru. Between them was another chest filled with sopping priestess robes that were wrapped around an ornately carved bow. This, being the most curious of discoveries, was what Toku and Sesshomaru were preparing to heft up the hillside.

"A pity only the boy survived," comment Toku somberly. Sesshomaru had informed him earlier of the survivor.

"Hn," Sesshomaru replied, squatting to pick up the chest on his side. Toku mimicked the action. "I am curious as to what this ship was and where it was headed."

"Not a sympathetic bone in your body. I was speakin' for the boy's sake," Toku replied dryly.

"I am not a sympathetic man."

The chest was not heavy, but it was bulky and unwieldy, and the muddied path saw to them slipping awkwardly up the meadow.

"Blast it!" Toku cursed, while Sesshomaru scowled and glared and tried to remain as dignified as possible with mud smeared across his hollow cheek.

After setting the chest in the armory with the rest of the boxes, both men retired to the hall, which was bursting with everyone enjoying their midday meal. Ayame, a young wolf demon, scampered back and forth to provide lunch and ale to all the bodies seated on the floor. Sesshomaru accepted a plate and cup from the auburn haired girl politely before adjourning to the far wall once again. Toku mingled with a few of the younger warriors, laughing and sharing crude jokes while telling exaggerated stories of their battle prowess. Sesshomaru allowed a little bit of amusement to filter in before digging into his simple meal of boiled vegetables and slightly burned lamb.

Seeing that most of the men were engaged more in blustering than eating Sesshomaru clapped his hands and snapped at them to begin training before he beat their worthless hides. Good naturedly the men filed out, kissing wives before resuming work on the practice grounds. Sesshomaru followed them, standing at the edge of the field as men wrestled and shouted.

Sesshomaru stayed long enough to ensure they were sweating before making his way to the medical hut. Sesshomaru was a demon who enjoyed battle, who enjoyed fighting. Occasionally he would read, and as necessary he would perform other duties like roof thatching and herding, but it was the feel of a sword in his hand that set his blood to boil.

Rarely, though, would he practice with his men.

They were skilled, and Sesshomaru allowed himself to feel a certain sense of satisfaction as he watched them duel, but they still were not at his skill level. Even Toku, a respected hands-on fighter, was not on Sesshomaru's level.

When a batch of new recruits joined the island, or when men got uppity, Sesshomaru would display his tightly honed skills: enough to ensure respect and loyalty from those that inhabited the island. Other than these few instances, Sesshomaru watched, correcting stances and murmuring cold insults.

He had never been a man of words, and doubted he ever would be. If asked to give a speech Sesshomaru would respond with a cutting glare. Yet his honor exuded from every action and insult, every deed Sesshomaru did for the little community. He led in a unique way.

Sesshomaru made a detour to the kitchen to retrieve some honey cakes and wine. Kaede, while staunchly loyal, was always a little less snippy when bribed. Ayame wrapped the items in a wax cloth with a knowing smile and a polite bid of farewell.

Sesshomaru cradled the bundle in the crook of his arm as he strode down the path and entered the medical hut with fluid silence. Kaede glanced at him as his he entered, but said nothing as she focused on mashing some kind of thick substance in a rough wooden bowl. On the middle pallet lay the young man, pale but looking more alive than he had earlier. His flowing, wild hair had been tied haphazardly to the side with a leather thong.

"Kaede," Sesshomaru intoned, "how is he?"

"I couldn't tell you how _he _is doing."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the crone's odd demeanor. "Don't be daft, woman. It's a simple question."

"Don't get wordy with me, boy," Kaede threatened, turning away from her work bench, "You may be older, but I am far wiser."

Sesshomaru stiffened, but Kaede interrupted him. "And I would tell you to check on her, but I think that would be improper."

Sesshomaru's mask slipped for the smallest of seconds to reveal surprise. Quickly he gathered his composure. "A girl."

"Yes, a girl," Kaede affirmed, "disguised as boy. This one's got quite the explaining to do once she wakes."

Sesshomaru didn't respond, instead busily reassessing the unconscious person's visible features. It made sense now: the slender waist, the delicate brow and long lashes. He was disappointed that he hadn't noticed it earlier. Too distracted by their job and ship wreck puzzle left, Sesshomaru had not been as observant as he should have.

Kaede glanced the sack in his arms and grinned a smile filled with gaps. "For me, Sesshomaru? How nice." She quickly shuffled forward to relieve him of the bribe, though he barely allowed a nod, still intently focused on the girl buried beneath the blankets and furs.

"Will she wake?" He finally asked.

Kaede glanced up distractedly. "Aye, she'll wake. I cannot say when though." She set down her burden on the table. "There's something else you might want to see."

Sesshomaru nodded, intrigued.

Kaede padded over to the girl, kneeling with creaking bones and a barely repressed groan. She beckoned him over impatiently. Sesshomaru loomed over her as she reached beneath the heavy fur to pull out the girl's arm. Sesshomaru frowned at the bruises and scrapes, but what truly caught his attention was the obvious rope burn that encircled her wrist. The girl had been tied up.

Kaede tucked the slender limb away and stretched to reach the other one on the opposite side. The same marks resided on that wrist as well.

"What is she holding?"

Kaede shrugged. "I wouldn't know. She refuses to let go of it, though I refuse to push it either."

Sesshomaru stepped over the prone figure, kneeling to closer inspect the girl's clenched fist. His clawed hands gently attempted to open the tense fingers, but they just tightened further instead. Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to open the hand without causing the patient further harm.

Like Kaede had done Sesshomaru tucked the arm beneath the warmth of the furs before standing. Kaede followed suit, shuffling to her chair to seat herself.

"This was not a simple trade ship," Sesshomaru commented, half to himself, half to the healer woman.

Kaede studied her rough fingernails thoughtfully. "If it was then there was something extremely devious going on aboard."

Sesshomaru crossed his arms. "We will know the answers soon enough."

O o o o o o o o o

_She was burning. She could feel it. The ice rushed in, stabbing at teeth and gums and tongue, forcing its way down her throat and nostrils, salty and painful. Her lungs screamed and she knew: she was going to die. _

_Her body buffeted back and forth between opposing waves, but her wrists were now free—how, when did that happen?—and she clawed blindly towards the surface, limbs flailing ineffectually against the riptide. _

_Did she do this? So many lives. _

_Unworthy lives, an evil voice whispered in her mind. They were going to kill you. Rape you. Feed on your remains._

_No, another voice responded weakly, ignored as air is felt and she gasped and sputtered, freeing her lungs from the terrible blistering. And the howling was deafening now, ensnaring her in a tornado of desperate cries and screamed prayers. The crew, the passengers, and her. _

_But then a large plank knocked her under the water again, a faint reprieve from the terrifying noise. She grasped at it from underneath, pulling herself up to cling tightly to its coarse body. She noticed that there was something in her hand, and it was pink and warm and it was filling her body with peace and sleepiness. _

O o o o o o o o o

Toku awaited Sesshomaru in his little box room with a missive in hand. Sesshomaru glanced at it sharply before kneeling to unlace his boots. Toku gently unfolded the parchment.

"A request," he informed Sesshomaru softly, "hefty price, inland. A man named Onigumo."

"The request?"

"It doesn't say," replied Toku as he leaned against a wall leisurely. "He wants to meet in person."

"Reject it."

"So quick to refuse."

Sesshomaru straitened, frowning. "The rules will not bend, no matter the price. My men's lives mean more than a few extra coppers."

Toku shrugged. "Less work and more play then," he commented lightly. Sesshomaru waited patiently for the man to leave so he could wash up and change. Toku noticed the dog demon's barely contained impatience, and ignored it.

"You checked on the boy?"

Sesshomaru paused. "…Yes."

Toku glanced at him curiously. "He'll live then."

"Yes. Though, it is not a boy."

Immediately Toku's thick, dark eyebrows shot up in surprise. He straitened from his pose against the wall. "A girl?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru replied, a grimace almost threading through his voice.

"She was dressed as a boy."

"I am more than aware of that fact, Toku. There is more."

Toku muttered something beneath his breath that sounded remarkably like an oath.

"Bruises, not only from the wreck, and rope burns on her wrists. The girl was not willing."

Toku rubbed his hands together ponderously, a scowl marring his gruff features. Stubble shadowed his jaw line.

"You figured what to do with her yet?"

Sesshomaru shot the boar demon a sharp look. "She has yet to awaken."

Toku shrugged, all but impervious to Sesshomaru's deadly glares and cold moods. "Then I take it you are going to wait until she wakes."

"Do you expect me to send someone down the coast? Perhaps search all the ports. Look for all the slender girls with dark hair who are missing?" Sesshomaru asked coldly.

Toku held is calloused palms up, placating. "I was not criticizing, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru remained tense for a millisecond longer before letting the irrational anger flow out of him like the melting of ice under a spring sun.

"I think I'll take my leave now," Toku said, taking the two short strides to the door. "Get some rest. You need it."

A scathing response was on the tip of Sesshomaru's tongue, but the bulky man was gone before it could be made. Sesshomaru stared blankly for a moment, then sighed. As much as he disliked admitting it, Toku was right. Sesshomaru needed to rest before he tore into some other undeserving dummy.

Quickly stripping, followed by a brief scrub, Sesshomaru lay down and was asleep within seconds.

O o o o o o o o

Kaede woke from her doze only half alert. The only sound was the cackle of the fire in the stone hearth and the somber creak of the hut as earth settle gently beneath it. Blinking, Kaede realized what had woken her. A soft gasp. A mere twitch. The girl was waking.

Cautiously Kaede stood and padded over to her patient. The girl's brow was furrowed, her face scrunched into an intense expression of discomfort, bordering on pain. She shifted and her head moved back and forth, like the ticking of a grandfather clock.

"Girl," Kaede croaked, clearing her throat. "Girl!"

A whine was her only response. Kaede reached to shake the girl's shoulder, only to have her freeze. A few seconds later her eyes were open and Kaede was staring into oddest eyes she had ever seen. Blue would never begin to describe them. They held the deep ocean in their depths, the lapping of a serene pond and the playful trickle of a wayward stream. Clearer than all the glaciers on earth, and even more clearly terrified.

Kaede shushed the girl softly, as though humming a lullaby to a startled pup. "There, there," she murmured, and the girl's gaze was darting around the room desperately. She twitched away from Kaede's hand, and Kaede withdrew gracefully.

Slowly, like feral cat, her panic faded. Breathing evened and the unhealthy flush that stained her features faded to only paint her cheeks like the blush of an unripe apple early summer. Kaede hummed in her own creaking voice, and the girl's eyes focused on her, consuming her features with little reserve. Like the setting sun the girl's eyes drifted shut and sleep overcame her once again.

Kaede stared, questions bubbling up like a geyser. Something was off about the girl, something not right. If she didn't know better, Kaede would suspect the girl of being demon, but she was too old to make such a mistake. The girl was clearly human, despite her unusually colored eyes.

The healer woman stood slowly, her age bearing down on her all it once. She was too old for mysterious patients and angry demons. Kaede poured a little of the ruby wine into a chipped clay mug and sipped it while warming herself before the fire.

She had slipped from the hut earlier to inspect the bodies, followed by the discovered valuables in the armory. None of the corpses had any of the marks the girl did. She was also intrigued by the chest with the bow and priestess cloth. Perhaps the girl was of holy origin?

No. She did not have the manner, or bearing. Having once been a part of the sisterhood Kaede was hypersensitive to her previous brethren. Holy power, maybe. Trained? Absolutely not.

And then Kaede glanced at the girl's clenched fist, which was now loosely relaxed. Kaede set down her wine and padded to the girl's outstretched hand. Carefully Kaede uncurled the girl's fingers and hissed when something rolled out.

A jewel. Dull, pink, nondescript, and only the jagged half of a perfect whole.

"What are you—?" Kaede murmured to herself, studying the murky crystal. She reached to touch it, but snapped her hand as the thing flashed and burned the tips of her wrinkled fingers. She withdrew a kerchief from her pocket, lacy and stained, and wrapped it around the jewel cautiously. It didn't respond again, but Kaede still handled it with care before slipping it into her pocket.

The girl slept on, oblivious. The rise and fall of her chest was steady, strands of her inky hair free and curling against her pale neck. Kaede hoped the girl would truly wake soon, because she had never been a patient woman, and she was fit to bursting with curiosity. Sesshomaru would be in a similar predicament. He detested unraveled ends and unsolved quandaries, and the girl was a messy tangle of both. Whatever her story, it was sure to be one of deep interest.

O o o o o o o o o

Despite his automatic refusal to the request Toku had delivered Sesshomaru still decided to do some research. He pulled out maps and old proclamations, looking for the unfamiliar name of Onigumo. Vexingly, he found next to nothing on the man. He was not one of the major warlords, nor a mayor of one of the bustling metropolis.

The man was a figurative ghost, which could mean two things. Either the man was an expert at hiding his dealings, which were most likely illegal if that was the case. Or, the man was relatively new to power, yet to prove strong or unique enough to make any sort of record. Sesshomaru assumed the latter, for if the man had already established himself he would have little need of their mercenary group, especially to meet in private.

It was a quandary, and Sesshomaru was severely disappointed. The bulk of the men had been too lax recently. It was a slow season and they spent more time fumbling about the practice yard than on real missions. A few small groups had been dispatched, but nothing truly noteworthy.

Sesshomaru rolled up the crumpled maps and old parchments to stow delicately away in his chest. Soon he would need to make a trip inland to update his information, but it would need to wait after the rainy season. He refused to make the journey while the roads were churned with mud and beggars who heckled any passerby for change or a meager slice of cheese.

Sesshomaru turned his thoughts away from work to the unconscious girl who slumbered a few buildings over. His last trip had been odd; Kaede had been acting sly. She was disturbingly closed-lipped when Sesshomaru inquired of her medical status, and an odd glint had been in her remaining eye.

With any other human Sesshomaru would have threatened them and had been done with it, but Kaede was a stubborn old coot and would just dig her feet in further. Sesshomaru would discover what bothered her in due time, and whatever it was would be overshadowed when the girl woke up, surely. Sesshomaru just hoped the girl wasn't prone to hysterics or the vapors, because he was not able to deal with such silliness. If it was to be so he would just ship her over to the village across the channel with Hisinki and be done with her.

Hopefully after he had learned her story though.


	3. Fathomless

**Facade of Order**

~o~

_"And diamonds a dozen_

_Sailing to nowhere_

_They burn and float on_

_And still we move on through the night."_

_-Sailing to Nowhere, _Broken Bells

~o~

Toku frowned as he tucked away the bronze eyeglass in his leather boat. The wind whipped playfully past him as he gazed out over the choppy sea waters from his precipice over the steep cliff face. His craggy features only showed a hint of the concern he felt.

"They're late," he mumbled to himself, crossing bulky arms over his even bulkier chest. Toku glanced behind him, down the rolling slopes of the meadow to where their little mercenary town sat. Smoke drifted gently from what Toku identified as the kitchen, as well as the medical hut.

He had yet to see the only survivor from that terrible wreck, but she had yet to wake. It had been a few days and Toku could already see how much it discomfited Sesshomaru, though the dog demon hid it well behind his porcelain mask. The leader wanted answers, and an unconscious girl only brought more and more questions to the surface. The ripples of her presence spread through serenity the village, while she slept on obliviously.

Toku was a patient man. His life was long and his experience extensive, and so the breathless wait didn't affect him as much as the others, but even he would admit to a certain sense of curiosity. It was an odd situation, no matter who looked at it. They were on odd sort of community, but it wasn't often that they had unique visitors like the girl. Hardened warriors they may be; they were still mortal to varying degrees.

But Toku had his own jobs to tend to. The sheep needed shearing. The rest of the unfortunate bodies buried. The smokehouse cleaned for the shipment of meat that should come in any day now.

Toku took one last glance across the infinite sea and shrugged. All in good time, he thought. Then he started down the hill to begin his days worth of work.

O o o o o o o

Sesshomaru was getting impatient. Kaede could tell, with how many times he visited her medical hut. He was also suspicious. Keen old woman that she was, he was just as keen, and far older than her despite his youthful appearance.

"How long does a girl need to rest?" Sesshomaru asked, irritation almost marring his voice.

"As long as she needs to heal," Kaede replied flatly, irritation obvious in her own voice.

"She is wasting my time."

"No, you are wasting your time. She is merely sleeping."

Sesshomaru shot the healer woman a sharp glare, who just shrugged it off. "I'm too close to death to be fazed by your theatrics, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru left with spiked youki and tense shoulders and Kaede allowed a brief moment of pity for the soldiers at the practice yard. Sesshomaru was sure to take out his frustration with digging insults and rigorous tasks for every one of them out there.

But Kaede had her own reasons for not revealing everything to Sesshomaru first. She wanted the girl to wake as a guest, not a prisoner; but having such a strange, vicious artifact on her person would do just that. She would be interrogated instead of gently questioned. Despite her gruffness, Kaede had a soft heart for her patients, and there was something about the girl that dug at her conscience.

The little jewel remained in her pocket, wrapped in the stained kerchief and untouched. It hadn't spoken to her since that first time, but Kaede hadn't touched it either. She was knowledgeable enough to know not to tamper with sentient artifacts. From what she gleaned, this artifact was very sentient.

Kaede's holy powers had never been strong. Her strength lay in her belief and devotion, but the gods had not see fit to gift her with the powers that they had in some of the other woman. In her younger days Kaede had been bitter about this, but as time passed she had begin to see it as a blessing. Her skills lay with other pursuits, such as medicine and herbs. She was never one for battle, though if called to arms she would fight with all that she had at her disposal, and then some.

Perhaps that is what led to her abandonment of the temples. Their focus was more on the holiness that ran in the veins than the holiness that ran in one's heart. Kaede had left with a change of clothes and enough sustenance to last only a few days. She had encountered Sesshomaru and his trained band of misfits, and had begun what she found to be her calling.

A shift in the piled blankets caught Kaede's attention, distracting her from her musings. The girl had woken briefly just a few times, enough to ply her with some water and broth before she passed out once more. Disturbing thing, Kaede hoped she would wake before starvation won out. A person could only be unconscious for so long, while lasting on the few droplets that Kaede was able to force down her throat.

O o o o o o o o

_She couldn't hold it. He ripped it from her grasp, his voice taunting and smooth._

"_You have strong hands, girl," he murmured in her ear; one long finger trailing down the length of her neck, "but I think I will know how to use this best."_

_She struggled. She cried. The cloth bit into her mouth painfully, and the rope around her wrists chafed to draw blood. His dark hair tickled her as it whipped about in the sea breeze. _

"_Amazing that you eluded me so long," he said lightly, and he started tossing the jewel in the air. Up, up, down. Up, up, down. Glinting in the sunlight, like an angelic prism. "Who knew that you could pass so long as a boy. Thank goodness I didn't kill you."_

_Stop it, she cried in her hand, and something was roiling inside her, ferocious and angry and filled with sharp, wet teeth. Stop it, she thought again, and her fingers started to burn._

_His eyes, his red, red eyes, widened. "Stop that," he snapped, slapping her face. But it wouldn't stop; it just came faster, a fever, a climax, a tsunami of unimaginable power. "You will kill us! You included!" He shouted desperately. _

_And like the snapping of a taut band it was released in an explosion, and something ripped from her and she was screaming and there was the crack of something breaking, and she knew that if this continued she wasn't going to last much—_

O o o o o o o o

Kagome awoke with a groan. The nightmare lingered in her mind with a clingy tenacity, sticky and noxious, like fruit left in the sun too long. But in a few seconds the memory—the dream?—floated away like mist under a finely placed wind. Her mind was blank, and all she could focus on was the odd shadows flickering against the wooden ceiling above her. From her vantage she could tell the roof was thatched, but that was all that entered her conscious.

Weighed down. Something held her town, and for a second Kagome struggled, the terror of bindings and capture hurling through her mind. The brush of linen and fur against her skin eased her though, and she realized it was just an inordinate amount of blankets that was heaped over her. Her body was sore, but much better than—

Kagome blinked. How had her body been before? Something was wrong. Something was severely, direly, wrong.

Suddenly a figure appeared over her, and Kagome's eyes watered as she tried to focus on the person. A woman. Old. Wide. Stern.

"Ah, are you really awake this time?" The woman questioned dryly.

Kagome blinked at her. "What—" Her throat was rough and scratchy. When was the last time she spoke? She couldn't remember. "Where," she rasped, "am I?"

"Ah," the woman smiled, and the crinkles at the corner of her visible eye sent the stern visage into relief. "Was worried about you for a day or two. I'll explain after you down a little water and broth."

She disappeared and Kagome was left staring at the ceiling again. Her mind wanted to sit up, but her body refused without her even having to try. Her muscles were as limp and week as soggy noodles. How long—

"Here ya go." The woman. Back with a tin cup and a small chipped bowl of weak smelling soup. She tipped Kagome's head up so she could sip both gently. Kagome studied the woman while doing so, and the woman explained.

"My name is Kaede. I'm a healer woman, and you are on an island a little of the mainland—north of the Koga's Port and south of the Kotsu inlet."

Kagome nodded weakly. She could see the image before her eyes, like looking at a map, but she remembered no island recorded on it….

"Your ship wrecked," Kaede continued, "perhaps you can tell us what happened?"

"I…." Kagome trailed off. She searched her mind, but only roiling fog and hazy thoughts reached her conscious. A string of emotions, confusion and pain and terror thread together like a tapestry of horror came through, and suddenly Kagome wasn't sure she wanted to remember. Something was so, so wrong. She could feel it in the ache of her bones and the squeezing of her chest as though her heart were missing. She imagined in its place was a horrific creature gnawing at the flesh hungrily and slowly consuming her from the inside out.

"I can't remember," Kagome answered honestly. "I don't know…."

She tried cataloguing. She had been home. Home. A decent sized house in the merchant districts. A creaking ship and a chest that was her obligation. The first time—nervous anticipation. So important.

Concern glinted in Kaede's eyes. Kagome focused on that desperately. "I can't remember," she whispered in a terrified rush. "I don't know. _I don't know."_

"Alright there, lass," Kaede soothed. "Don't try too hard. Sometimes these things happen. It's not uncommon."

Somehow Kagome knew this was different though. She nodded, acquiescent, but in the back of her brain she tried to puzzle together the wispy fragments that remained. Each time she grabbed one another slipped away. It felt unnatural, like something had invaded her brain and was now teasing her maliciously with something that belonged to her.

"I need to fetch the leader," Kaede murmured to herself, and Kagome glanced at her sharply.

"Leader?" she repeated warily.

"Aye," Kaede said, "he'll be wanting to know that you're up."

Kagome's insides twisted with unease. "Does he have red eyes?" she whispered.

Kaede shot her a bemused glance. "For the most part—no."

This did not set Kagome at ease.

O o o o o o o o o

Sesshomaru was overseeing the removal of some venison from the smokehouse when the boy sprinted up to him, panting.

"Sir," he gasped, excitement barely contained in his lithe frame. "The healer lady sends for you. She says you must come!"

Sesshomaru quirked an amused brow. "Did she give a reason?"

"She said that you should know the reason and if you didn't then perhaps she should work somewhere else because she doesn't work for idiots."

Sesshomaru's expression flattened. He shooed the boy away with a flick of his hand, and the scruffy child ran off to wield fake swords and dig up worms. Sesshomaru finished giving instructions to the two gangly teenagers who were assisting him, then strode off to the medicinal hut.

Kaede awaited him outside, which was odd in and of itself.

Sesshomaru greeted the old woman with a courteous tilt of the head.

"Sesshomaru," Kaede said, not moving from the doorway. "I wanted to prepare you before you went in."

Sesshomaru frowned. "Did she die?"

"No, but I'm afraid you will be just as irritated."

Sesshomaru stared at her incredulously, but waited patiently for her to elaborate.

"The girl is awake, but her wits are rattled. She is weak, and dragging right now. Temporary until she regains he strength. What worries me is the amnesia."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. Kaede noticed this with pursed lips. "You will not browbeat her into remembering. It will come on its own."

"This is—vexing," Sesshomaru admitted, voice strung tight like a fiddle string.

"Would you still like to speak with her?"

"Yes."

O o o o o o o o

Kagome was nearing sleep when the door reopened again, bringing with it a cool breeze and two sets of footsteps. The short dragging ones were Kaede's—she could already tell. The smooth, confident set was unfamiliar.

"She is awake?" Said the other set of footsteps, revealing a deep, husky voice. A commanding man's voice.

"See for yourself," Kaede replied snappily.

"Hn."

The male footsteps began to walk over to her, and Kagome shifted a little to look at him. Her body, luckily, allowed her this, but what came to her sight was completely unbidden.

A demon, obviously. Of what heritage, Kagome could not be sure, but it was so rare to see a demon anywhere. At least, anywhere she lived. His hair was like the reflecting of moonlight against a serene midnight pond; his eyes the color of undiscovered amber blazing with the light of the rising sun. His high, arching cheek bones held a set of matching maroon slashes, a bloody contrast to his delicately pale skin. Breathtaking.

Kagome remained silent as he approached to stand over her, a frown on his features. He may have been beautiful, but his expression remained stoic. His eyes revealed the presence of an unwanted puzzle—her.

"You're name," he demanded curtly.

Kagome opened her mouth—_"Kagome!"—_to respond. "I don't remember." Something held her back. Maybe it was suspicion, maybe just injury induced paranoia, but even the kindness of Kaede hadn't completely erased her wariness. She really didn't remember most of it. _"Kagome." _Why did her name seem so precious and secret to her?

"Hn." Sesshomaru replied. "Convenient." His eyes narrowed just slightly as he studied her expression. Kagome felt probed, as though he was attempting to sort through her soul with a scholarly efficiency. His displeased expression revealed that what he had gleaned from her had been unsatisfactory.

Suddenly, in a swift movement Sesshomaru hunched down, squatting beside her gracefully. Kagome's eyes traced it his hair as it pooled over his shoulders to the clean swept floor.

"Tell me," Sesshomaru continued with an interrogator's tones, "what do you remember?"

Kagome thought quickly. A home. A ship. An artifact. Something extremely important. Screams. "I—I…." She murmured. "I remember a house in a merchant district." Tell enough of the truth, she thought, enough of the truth and it would deter him from the real truth. Whatever that was. "A voyage. It was my first time, I think. I remember screams," she whispered.

Sesshomaru nodded a fraction of an inch. "That is all?"

Kagome nodded back meekly. Enough of the truth, she reminded herself.

"My name is Sesshomaru," he finally said. A mask, it was like he was wearing a noh mask. Kagome couldn't read him anymore. "I am the leader of this island. You will be taken care of as a patient. Once you remember and tell us, we will escort you from here."

"Am I a prisoner?"

Sesshomaru paused thoughtfully. "No."

Kagome's brow furrowed. "Then what if I don't remember? Why can't I just leave?"

"We don't like strangers knowing about us." Sesshomaru said, straitening to walk to the door. Before he left he added. "We don't like liars either."

Then he was gone and it was just her and Kaede.

"Well," said the old woman, "stirred him up, didn't you?"

"I didn't mean to," trailed Kagome. "I don't understand."

Kaede meandered over, the earlier tin cup in her hand and filled with tepid water. "He's a rough one, but he's not a bad man. He will be fair. You don't need to worry."

"He was intimidating," Kagome muttered as she sipped.

"He'd be pleased to hear that," Kaede replied. "He may not act it, but I suspect he enjoys scaring the people he just meets."

"Hmmm," Kagome mused. "That seems spiteful."

"Not at all, lass. He's a warrior, what do you expect?"

Kagome didn't have an answer to that. Something told her she hadn't interacted with many warriors in her life, but she couldn't be sure. Merchant district, she though distractedly. Slowly Kagome felt slumber begin to tug at her thoughts. A fine haze encompassed her mind and soon she was fast asleep.

Kaede watched this impassively. She held the empty tin cup loosely at her side. Yes, the girl was a mystery; one that Sesshomaru would be hard put to ignore. Not that he would want to ignore it. He would attempt to unravel it until every single fiber of her being, her memory, lay before him in a dazzling tapestry that held all the answers.

Vaguely Kaede wondered how long the girl would hold out, a few days at the most. Sesshomaru was a formidable opponent in anything, and he would force the girl to remember whether she liked it or not.


	4. All that is Dark

**Facade of Order**

~o~

_'Tell me what you know about dreamin' dreamin'  
you don't really know about nothin' nothin'  
tell me what you know about them night terrors every night  
5 am, cold sweats wakin' up to the skies.'_

_-'Pursuit of Happiness,' _Kid Cudi

~o~

A few days passed with nothing much to note for Kagome. Kaede continued to call her lass for lack of a real name, and Sesshomaru had yet to make a return visit. Kaede had assured her it would happen, and Kagome was not looking forward to it. The man was intimidating, pushy, and dangerous. There was something about his demeanor that was sharp and lethal. He was a demon not to be trifled with, and though Kagome couldn't be blamed for her amnesia, she couldn't staunch the feeling of guilt that seemed to come with it.

Slowly she regained strength. The bruises and aches faded and Kagome was upgraded from broth to meals of substance—potatoes, chicken, and other assorted vegetables. Kagome enjoyed this nutritional evolution.

Unchanged, though, were the nightmares. She was plagued by black thoughts and oozing, dark feelings. They slithered into her mind, unbidden and unwarranted. It was not rare for Kagome to wake up in a state of high panic, sweating and panting like she had just run a strenuous distance. She didn't remember the horrendous dreams, but she could feel them pressing at the edge of her mind like an almost physical presence. The evil was omnipotent and Kagome was at its pitiless mercy.

And whenever she woke Kaede was watching her with her dark, thoughtful eye. The medicine woman was curious, and aware. She observed the terror as it receded from Kagome's eyes upon waking, but she never commented. Instead, silently, she would put on the kettle to boil some soothing tea.

"Mint and Dreamless," she would murmur in explanation, "with a hint of spring Yew."

Kagome would sip her tea dutifully before drifting back to sleep for a few meager hours before dawn. At this point she was able to shakily stand, though walking was still out of her reach. It was difficult to practice without help. Kaede's age left her too frail to help with that, and neither of them would ask Sesshomaru. So Kagome stood by herself, cushioned by the pile of furs and blankets that usually covered her.

It was while she was doing so one day that Sesshomaru decided to enter the quaint hut. Kaede didn't turn from her bench, but Kagome gasped with surprise as her legs gave out beneath her; her body a dull thump against the floor. Immediately she flushed with an awkward embarrassment as Sesshomaru stared at her impassively, like the silent scolding of an unruly child. His gaze slid to her body and near bare legs. She was only clad in an overlarge, off white shift that barely reached just above her knees. Furiously Kagome jerked the blankets over her legs, up to her waist.

"I see the patient's condition is improving," Sesshomaru commented, speaking as though she wasn't conscious and listening to every word.

"Mm," agreed Kaede, still working dutifully at her bench, "she's a determined one, she is."

Sesshomaru nodded lightly, then strode over to crouch at Kagome's side. "What do you remember?" he questioned bluntly.

"Nothing," Kagome automatically responded. _Except my name. _The faint image of a man's vicious smirk seared through her mind for just a brief moment before drifting away aimlessly again.

Sesshomaru studied her for a second, eyes searching hers thoroughly. "I think you are lying."

"I'm not lying!" Kagome spat back. "Is it so hard to think that I could forget? I can't remember a thing. I can't remember a family, a home, a job, my friends—" A deep ached blossomed in her breast. "—nothing! I _hate _this."

A tense silence follower her outburst, one full of unspoken wants and desires.

"You speak as though you do have these things."

"I…" Kagome trailed. She brought her palms up to her forehead. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, her muscles twitched and she couldn't help but envision a small stonework home with rare glass pane windows and a fat cat lazing sleepily on the stoop. "My head hurts."

"I think that's enough of that," Kaede interjected gently. "The lass needs rest, not interrogation. These things can't be forced." There was the soft note of chiding in her autumn voice.

Sesshomaru stood. "I'll return later." And with that he left.

Kaede wiped her hands, frowning at the slammed door. "That young man has little patience. Try not to take it personally."

"How else can I take it?" Kagome asked. "I feel like a prisoner."

"Try to see it from his point. You could be an enemy for all we know. He's a suspicious man, but he has every right to be."

"Sometimes I think I can remember," Kagome whispered. "I get images. Little flashes of things. But then they're pulled from me, like a spiteful child teasing a dog. My head is so stuffed with fog."

Kaede's frown deepened further, almost into a creasing scowl. "Aye, that sounds almost unnatural."

Kagome shrugged. How would she know? But the dark presence inside her seemed to agree. Her stomach coiled like a pit of snakes and her chest echoed with a hollow resonance. Her body seemed ill-fitted, as though something necessary was missing, something important. Kagome didn't repeat that out loud. Like her name, it was something that she held close to her in secrecy, because that was really all she had.

O o o o o o o o o

Sesshomaru stalked up the hillside, his irritation barely restrained behind his impassive façade. For years he had not allowed anyone to slip beneath his icy exterior, and with few words and a pleading gaze the girl had managed to just that. Her _amnesia _frustrated him beyond belief. The thought of it made him urge to jog to the practice yard; to deal a hard hand to whoever was unfortunate enough to be his opponent at the time.

Sesshomaru resisted though. He was not the kind of leader to unleash unwarranted irritations on his men, and he didn't plan on turning into that type either. A terrifying taskmaster, perhaps, but never one to let his emotions get the better of him—it was how he had become leader, and how he remained leader.

Ahead Sesshomaru caught sight of the orderly rhythm of men as they butchered a fallen tree for firewood and building materials. Among them was the bulky, recognizable figure of Toku. The boar wielded an axe with brutal strength and efficiency, whether against oak or man. Sesshomaru approached silently, watching until Toku had pierced through the trunk and looked up.

"Sesshomaru," he greeted amiably, "a fine day for fieldwork."

Sesshomaru nodded in response. "Toku. A word."

Toku handed off his axe to the nearest man and followed Sesshomaru a little downhill, out of hearing distance for even the keenest of demon ears.

"About the girl, I assume?"

"I need you to speak to her."

Toku crooked an eyebrow questioningly me. "You know I'm not the best man for surveillance."

"Precisely."

"You might need to elaborate on your logic," Toku said dryly, scratching the back of his head.

"She doesn't trust me. I want someone to show her some of the recovered items without a seeming interrogation."

Toku remained silent for a moment, then a wide, sly grin spread across his roughened features. "You wantin' me to coddle the girl, Sesshomaru?"

"Don't mock me, Toku."

"Hmmm," mused Toku, ignoring Sesshomaru's response. "You're probably right. You're a little overbearing for a girl. You don't know how to work 'em over. I need to meet this mystery patient anyways."

"Toku," Sesshomaru replied warningly.

"Don't take offense," Toku excused himself, unapologetic. "But you're a warrior. Not a doting Pop."

"You're not a doting father either."

"Now see, that's _exactly _what I mean. I said Pop, not father."

"Just do it, Toku."

Toku laughed and shrugged. "You can count on me. Not today, of course. Too much busy work, but tomorrow or the next I'll fit it in."

"As soon as possible. I grow impatient with her."

"That's a surprise," said Toku, "you're not one to let others get to you. What's different about this girl?"

Sesshomaru paused. Toku was right, in a sense. He was as logical and methodical as a demon could get. He did not let emotions ruin his actions—any emotions were used efficiently, in battle or otherwise. The girl's demeanor irritated him. Her obliviousness. The white lies he could sense on her. The even more obvious truths.

She didn't try to irritate him. Many had done such a thing and he had effectively put a stop to it with little fuss. The girl was a quandary, perhaps. She was a kink in his smoothly knitted life. Sesshomaru detested the unknown, the confusing, and this girl was an outright enigma. He didn't even know her name.

"Report to me when you finish," Sesshomaru finally said.

"Of course, of course."

Toku trudged back up the slope and Sesshomaru turned back to the village. Perhaps he would rummage through the chests once more. If he was lucky the dried scrolls might be easier to decipher.

O o o o o o o

_She was standing in front of the small stone house. Flowers burst forth, singing of spring and life, from a plywood box hung gently from the window. A boy stood beside her. He's young, scowling, and short. He pouted and crossed his arms, his bony shoulders tense and resilient. Kagome studied this with affection. _

'_My brother,' she thought knowingly, lovingly. _

"_It will be your turn next time, Souta" she said, and she realized they had been arguing. _

"_It's not right. It's not fair!"_

"_I wouldn't even be going, if it weren't necessary."_

_Souta calmed suddenly. "...why grandpa is only going part of the way?"_

"_Yes," Kagome agreed. The predicament was abnormal even by their standards, but it was necessary. Only an innocent could enter…._

O o o o o o o o

Kagome woke up, blinking with tears threatening to streak her flushed cheeks. Like a tsunami the warm emotions that she gripped fled from her body, leaving cold reality in its place.

_I have a brother, _she thought wistfully. _I have a family. _

The hut was empty. Uncharacteristically, Kaede was missing, leaving Kagome all alone. She spied the tin pitcher of water at the workbench. Her throat was dried, like the tissue was peeling away with every breath she took. Tears still strained to break free.

With a struggle Kagome sat herself up. Perhaps Kaede would be back soon, and Kagome could be patient until then, but she needed a distraction. The difficulty of physical activity would work just nice for that.

Muscles trembling and legs wobbly, Kagome stood. It left her breathless, and she despised how weak she was. A certain sense of capability must have been a part of her previous life, because this seemed to string the fiber of her being to the point of snapping. Kagome took a lurching stumble, nearly banging her knees against the unyielding wood floor. Her hands reached out to grab the work table. With her bodies force it shook, rattling jars and pots, but thankfully leaving them upright.

Shakily Kagome grabbed the water and a clean ladle and dipped. The water was slightly tepid, but cool and fresh against her thirsting throat. The last vestiges of sentimentality slowly slipped away from her mind, washed away with the water and the sweat the beaded on her brow and down her spine.

She _would g_et out of this place, she thought. She would get home and she would see her family and she would hold them tight and she would not leave them for a long, long time.

Something in her chest though, told her that was never going to happen. Whatever had taken place, whatever she had forgotten, however she had ended up on this island, had changed that. A hopeless, yearning dream.

Weakly Kagome stumbled back to her bedding, bundling beneath the warm furs, as though they could protect her from reality. Kagome fought the exhaustion, the drowsiness, as long as she could. Sleep meant dreams, and dreams meant nightmares.

But even so her body was healing, and slowly she drifted into slumber.

O o o o o o o o

Toku entered the medicine hut a little after supper. Kaede dozed by the fire, and against the wall, on a little cot buried beneath a heap of furs, slept the girl. Her features were delicate enough, in an even, plain sort of way. He dark hair tangled about her, like wild seaweed fronds adorned by a siren. Flushed cheeks. Pale skin. Young, but not as young as Sesshomaru portrayed. Interesting.

Toku had been hoping she would be awake. Sesshomaru ordered him to shock the girl with some of the objects found on the ship. Toku would, of course, do just that, but he would prefer to ease the girl into it. No matter how suspicious Sesshomaru was, Toku knew this was just a girl, and if she truly had amnesia, then she must be terrified. Despite his outwardly rough appearance, Toku was known for his empathy.

From previous descriptions, the bruises had faded prettily from her face. She huffed and frowned, and Toku smiled. Adorable youngster.

Which brought to question; why was Sesshomaru so irritated with her presence?

Of course he would be paranoid about any washed up survivor on their shores, but this was a different irritation. This was personal, like he couldn't get rid of her fast enough, and he was determined to make her an unwitting enemy.

Toku rubbed his bristly chin with a thick finger. Sesshomaru treated her as a threat, but Toku was positive this girl was not a threat to the isle. He was a good judge of character—a sixth sense, some said—and he was positive that this was an innocent caught up in something unfortunate. No, Sesshomaru was treating this girl as though she was a threat to himself personally.

He would have to see them interact. Perhaps Toku was just imagining things. But, he had known the young lord for quite some years, and despite his cold exterior, Sesshomaru was practical. Maybe even predictable, in some sense, though Toku would never say so outwardly.

Toku glanced at Kaede. The old woman worked hard, for all her years and mortality. A good acquisition, and a good woman. With a smile, Toku silently left the hut with barely a creak in the wood. Tomorrow he would speak to the girl. He would bring a few things, but he wouldn't overload her. And, when he got the chance, he would observe Sesshomaru's interactions with her.

O o o o o o o

_The ship was small, in respect to most trading ships. Sleek and quick, like the most athletic of racing hounds. The figurehead, the blank face of a lovely goddess, split the waves for them like a knife slicing butter. _

_Kagome stayed below deck. The crew was practical, but even the most practical of sailors had a suspicious streak, and it worried them to have a woman on board. The less she was seen, the better. Though it chafed; staying in the damp, dingy room for so long. Brine seemed to have been absorbed into every pore of her body, and her hair was stiff with ocean air. Periodically the first mate would come down to check on her, but for the most part she was left to her own devices. _

_This usually left her checking the supplies nervously, ensuring nothing was damaged or wet. She attempted to read, but soon she would become too nauseous to concentrate. Sea sickness had hit her hard, and it took all her strength to will it away. _

_It was another such boring day when the ship was jolted from its smooth course. Kagome nearly banged her knee against a chest, and almost knocked her head. Shouts could be heard from above, desperate and harsh. Another shuddering jolt, and the lacquered boards of the goddess' ship groaned menacingly. Kagome's heart thudded against her chest. Quickly, silently, she raced up the narrow steps to peek her head out to the deck. _

_What she saw almost made her scream. _

_A much larger ship had hooked theirs. Large, rusted spears crashed through wood and sail, one even ripping through an unwary sailor's leg. Large, ferocious armed men jumped to the deck. _

_Pirates. How could this happen? It was supposed to be a safe, easy voyage. Why would they be attacked here of all places?_

_Stories ran through Kagome's head. Women and pirates did not mix well. She would not become some tossed around slattern for them. She would rather be dead. _

_An idea sprung to mind. She glanced down at her burdensome skirts. Below deck, there had to be—_

_And then she glanced up, and there was another man. He grinned ferociously, pleasure obvious in his delicate features. He watched as his men caused carnage and mayhem on the small vessel with no conscience. And he made her shudder with fear. _

_Because she just knew; if that man caught her, she would be done for. He would suck her soul dry, every last ounce, until he got what he wanted. _

_Decision made, Kagome rushed down the narrow steps to desperately find what she could. _


	5. Strength in Pain

**Facade of Order**

~o~

_"And I'll find strength in pain_

_And I will change my ways_

_I'll know my name as it's called again"_

-_The Cave, _Mumford & Sons

~o~

Kagome shifted, pulling her mind groggily from the most recent dream she'd had. Already it was fading, siphoning from her mind like water from a cracked jar. She felt broken, so small and insignificant, like something was missing from her. Something so important it left her a mere husk, the cast off cocoon of a butterfly.

Awakening more, Kagome slowly realized she wasn't alone either. She couldn't quite see him, but she could feel his presence at the foot her pallet. A shadow against the bright backdrop of the cheerful fire in the hearth. Tentatively Kagome sat up, gazing at the large man who slumped cross-legged a few feet away from her.

"Ah," he said amiably, "you're awake."

Kagome didn't respond, instead just nodding warily and sitting up even further, leaning her back against the rough timber of the wall. His eyes were brown and warm, and laugh lines creased the corner of his temples and framed his wide, grizzly jaw. He didn't look the part, but something inside her informed her that this was a demon. Perhaps the hulking muscles, perhaps the unnerving stillness, or perhaps even the easy confidence he exuded; somehow, Kagome just knew.

"Lady Kaede left me with some stew and ale for you. Quite a hearty meal for someone recovering."

"She just started allowing me to eat more solids," Kagome said hesitantly.

The demon nodded. "I'm Toku, by the way. You could say I'm sort of the right hand man about this island."

Kagome allowed a small smile. "Kaede calls me lass."

Toku chuckled. "Well, that's easy enough to remember, at least until you get your wits back about you and can really introduce yourself."

Kagome suppressed the wince, her name was still her own... "I don't think it's quite my wits missing..."

Toku's eyes twinkled merrily. "No, I would say not. You seem like a sharp young thing."

Kagome shrugged, eyeing the bowl and tankard beside Toku hopefully. He caught the look and pushed them in her direction. With little struggle-thank goodness for her slowly regaining strength-Kagome crawled from her little nest, retrieved the stew, and proceeded to dig in after settling back against the wall.

"If you don't mind me asking," Kagome murmured after sating her initial hunger, "what kind of demon are you?"

Toku's eyebrows shot up. "You can sense that, eh?"

"Well... not quite. It just seemed to make sense..."

"Hmm."

Kagome took another bite, chewing awkwardly.

"A boar demon. You know, to the untrained eye I am oftentimes mistaken for a human."

"How?" Kagome asked incredulously.

Toku chuckled dryly. "If you hadn't noticed, most demons are little more... flamboyant looking."

Kagome thought of Sesshomaru. She didn't know any other demons beyond him, but if they all held such eccentric characteristics then she could understand Toku's point. For a second, Kagome saw a flash of red eyes and coiling, silky black hair. Fear flashed through her, and she shuddered, but forcefully pushed the thought from her head.

"You're very different," she observed.

"Outspoken, aren't you?" Toku guffawed.

Kagome flushed. "I didn't mean offense. I meant from Sesshomaru..."

"Ah," Toku said knowledgably, "he can be quite a force, when he wants to be."

Kagome sat silent.

"Don't let him get you, lass. He's not a bad pup; he's just being protective."

"He's not gotten to me."

Toku hummed, and Kagome ignored the wry glint in his warm brown eyes.

"Sesshomaru wants me to get you to remember something. To tell us more about yourself."

"I... I remember nothing."

Another knowing glint.

"He didn't want me to give you warning," Toku continued, "but I will, because I can tell you don't mean harm. I will be bringing some of the belongings that washed up-to show you. Hopefully we can spark something."

Kagome frowned. "I... thank you, I suppose." Some things had already been sparked, but they lay malicious and biting in her mind. She wasn't sure she wanted any more sparks. She desired obliviousness, the bliss of uninterrupted sleep. She craved sunlight and creeks over gentle riverbeds; the clatter of hooves on cobblestone and the wild calls of vendors desperately selling their wares. This silent room, with its creaky boards and flickering fire and unending stream of visitors was driving her mad.

"I need to leave here."

Toku frowned. "I can't do that, lass. We can't just set you on a boat across the channel. You would not survive long."

"No, no," Kagome denied. "I meant _outside."_

Toku's brows shot up. "Ah, you mean you want to leave the medical hut?"

Kagome nodded vigorously.

"Well," the boar demon pondered, "I will have to speak to Lady Kaede, but I doubt she would fault you for a little necessary sunlight. Can't be good for your health to be cooped up in here."

Kagome thought of the sun on her skin, the breeze tangling through her tresses playfully. Toku stood and she watched him hopefully from her spot on the floor. Toku offered her a crooked grin.

"Let me find the old maid. I'll get you some fresh air."

o

As Toku left the hut he noticed the pale figure of Sesshomaru across the path, leaning casually against a smoke house. Toku's brows shot up in amusement and his lips quirked. He approached the dog demon leisurely.

"So, couldn't stay away, hm?"

"I wanted a truthful account."

"You don't believe me to be truthful?"

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed. "I believe you to be soft hearted when faced with a young girl."

"Not quite a girl. More a young woman."

Sesshomaru frowned, straitening from his spot against the wall. "I believe you shouldn't be noticing at all, Toku."

Toku snorted. "Pretty little thing, but she's not for me. There is no need for you to worry on my account. Have I not served you loyally for years? I would not sacrifice that for the bonniest girl in the world." Toku grinned. "And she's far too skinny for my anyway."

Sesshomaru shot him a glare, but there was no malice behind it. "Hn."

Toku shrugged and took a step away, pausing to way for the young leader to fall in step with him. "So I take it you didn't hear anything of interest?"

"You are far too cavalier."

Toku shrugged. "Perhaps, but you know that's what she needs. Your methods have not worked."

"Hm."

They trudged up the dirt road through the main bulk of the village. The sun shone bright and cheery, softly lighting up the brush and trees. Sesshomaru paused outside kitchens.

"You will find Kaede up the hill."

Toku nodded and smiled, but Sesshomaru had already walked away.

o

Kagome waited patiently, and felt elated when Kaede reappeared; Toku entering behind her hefting a few sacks of something.

"So," said the old woman dryly, "I've been told you want to try to leave the hut."

Kagome flushed slightly and nodded. "Yes, please."

"Hm," Kaede replied.

Toku grinned reassuringly at Kagome behind the medicine lady before setting the sacks against the far wall.

"Well," Kaede finally continued, "it cannot hurt you to get a little sunlight. Toku, I'm assuming you will be here to assist her?"

"Of course, Lady Kaede."

They both waited patiently as Kagome unwound herself from the blankets and furs. She had been given a pair of trousers, and a blouse which billowed off her frame. She felt slightly awkward wearing men's clothes, but they covered her completely and she was able to move freely. The smell of wood smoke and sweat was also slightly comforting.

Toku held out a solid arm, which Kagome thankfully grasped as she hobbled out the hut. Kaede led them around the edge, and Kagome felt warmth fill her at the sight of a tidy garden and an awkwardly carved stone bench. Toku took her to said bench and sat her down carefully, sitting next to her as Kaede set to digging weeds out of the soft soil.

The darkness that coiled in her body seemed to shrink, and finally Kagome could feel herself relaxing as the shadows dissipated. She felt cleansed, pure, untainted. A small smile played about her lips.

"Deep in thought?"

Kagome blinked at Toku's voice. She had almost forgotten she wasn't alone.

"No, not exactly," Kagome replied, "just reveling in the sun."

Toku nodded, his own face serene and contemplative. Neither continued to speak, to which Kagome was grateful. It was as though the purity of the air was being breathed in through her very pores.

A short while later, as liquid laziness melted her bones, Toku spoke. "Tell me when you are ready for me to bring items."

"When I'm ready?" Kagome asked, surprised.

"Yes," Toku said. "I won't pressure unduly for remembrance, or force you into stressful situations."

Kagome nodded, thankful to having the kindhearted boar around instead of the fierce island leader.

Toku, sensing her thoughts, made a comment. "It may shock you, but he is concerned for your well being."

Kagome quirked in incredulous eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe."

"He is a living being. He has faults. His strength lies in his demeanor. He would not be our leader if he coddled us."

"He's not my leader."

Toku shrugged. "Perhaps not, but he's dealing with you the only way he knows how."

Kagome sighed slightly. Perhaps she had been hasty in judgment. Sesshomaru had not been particularly awful; more uncomfortable than anything. Also, deep down she felt a tiny twinge of guilt. These people had saved her, nursed her, and were attempting to befriend her. Perhaps she had been acting ungrateful.

"I will try to think my interactions though with him," Kagome relented.

"Of course," Toku replied slyly, "I don't mean you should kneel for him. The man could use a little bit of a challenge."

Kagome's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Kaede, who had been silent until that point, called out. "Don't be putting any ideas in her head, Toku! There's trouble enough!"

Toku laughed. "Lady Kaede, I would not create trouble for you in a million years!"

"Ha! You were _born _to trouble me," Kaede said grumpily, though Kagome recognized the playful nature of their banter. Kaede turned away from the jovial boar to scrutinize Kagome. "I think it's time you were back inside. I don't want you to overexert yourself. "

Kagome frowned, but nodded in acquiescence. Toku stood to give her an arm, but Kagome shook her head.

"I want to try by myself."

o

Kaede lingered in the doorway as the girl was put to bed. She was fast asleep mere seconds after being covered in blankets by Toku. He followed her outside silently so as to not wake the lass.

Once outside Kaede spoke. "When will you be begin bringing objects over."

Toku rubbed his chin. "Tomorrow, I suppose. The day following that if something comes up. I would prefer to wait, but Sesshomaru is anxious. She gave permission at least."

Kaede snorted. "Forcing the girl to soothe his anxiety is not the right path."

"Perhaps not," Toku replied, "but even you must admit that this is not the place to keep a patient for an extended amount of time. If she has a family, and if we could get her back to them..."

"I understand that; my intelligence is not up to question." Kaede said. "But this idea of his could do more harm than good. I'm a healer; this is not how to solve amnesia."

Toku sighed, then gave the old woman a measure look. "She has said nothing?"

Kaede rubbed the swollen joints of her arthritic fingers. "Nothing intentionally... She has nightmares."

"Nightmares..."

"Yes," Kaede affirmed. "It's jumbled, nonsensical, but there is definitely something she fears greatly."

"Or some_one_."

Kaede nodded. "She may have remembered more. I won't deny, but for some reason she is unwilling to share. Like you suspected, something unnatural happened. Some malicious act, perhaps."

"Yes," Toku agreed, "I think the same. Though as to what I couldn't even hazard a guess."

A silence fell between them, only permeated by brightly chirping birds and the steady drone of cicada.

Finally Kaede murmured. "I want to be present when you bring whatever you will over."

Toku smiled with no real humor. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

o

_"I sense it," he whispered, his voice oozing like acid through her ears. "It's __**here. **__I sense it!"_

_She huddled in a crate, breathing as shallowly as possible. The jewel was clutched tightly between her trembling fingers. She could feel him-it-the demon pacing back and forth through the hull. Blood pooled along the floor, mixed with seawater and spilled ale. The smell was gag worthy. _

_She stared into the soft glowing pink; willing the bad thoughts away. Mama's stew. Grandpa's wild stories. Souta's boyish mischief. Not the nauseous rocking of the ship, the squelching noises from above as the pirates hungrily ripped into the human sailor's flesh. Not the leader of the pirates prowling around. _

_She curled in on herself tighter, forcing the horrors away from her mind. She was only a girl. This was only a simple trade. She was only-_

_A hand grabbed her. _

o

Kagome gasped awake, shooting up and clutching her chest shaking.

"My name is Kagome," she whispered desperately. "I'm only a girl. My name is Kagome. I'm only a girl. My name is _Kagome. I'm only a-"_

She almost shrieked as a hand gently brushed her shoulder. She jerked back and stared wildly as Kaede hovered over her silently. Sobs choked her throat, and finally tears poured down her cheeks. She huddle over her knees and tried to shut out the world.

Kaede disappeared, returning with a tankard of clear water. Gently she pushed it into Kagome's trembling hands.

Kagome took it reluctantly. "Drink," Kaede ordered. Kagome took a steadying sip.

"There's a lass," Kaede murmured gently. "It's only a nightmare. Nothin' can hurt you here."

Kagome wanted to scream. She wanted to rail out. _But it's not. It's a __**memory! **__It's __**real! **__it __**can **__hurt me!_

But she didn't, instead continuing to sip the cleansing water.

"Now," said Kaede, "what were you saying when you woke up?"

Kagome froze. She had been saying... she had been saying...

"Your name, child. Your name."

"Yes," Kagome whispered.

"You remember then."

"No."

Kaede waited patiently. "Kagome is a pretty enough name. Unusual, but pretty."

Kagome didn't respond. Horrors still lingered and the basking warmth of friendship from the garden had fled leaving only clouding doubts and suspicion.

"Why," Kaede finally questioned, "do you not want us to know?"

"I don't know," Kagome whispered after a long pause.

"Hm."

They sat in silence. Kaede stood to stir up the smoldering embers in the hearth and put the kettle on. She busied herself at the work bench as Kagome sat and stared at the roiling shadows the flames reflected on the gritty floor.

"I'm scared," she finally said.

Kaede paused and turned. "I would be surprised if you weren't."

Kagome hesitated. "I dream, and I don't know what it means, but it terrifies me. I don't want to sleep. I don't want to remember."

Kaede studied her closely. "Aye, you have gone through an ordeal. None of us can tell you how to handle it, but I do know you _will_ remember. This odd amnesia of yours, as unnatural as it is, is fading quickly."

Kagome rubbed her forehead. Kaede puttered around a bit more until the tea was prepared and both cradled a mug to their chests.

"I cannot fix your visions, nor your fear," Kaede murmured, "but despite its uselessness know that we are here to heal you, not hurt you."

Kagome nodded, blowing softly on her tea. "I will... try to trust you."

Kaede didn't respond, as though that were enough. Both sipped their tea steadily, content with the other's presence shooing away the lurking darkness in the room. Kagome finished hers first and set it on the floor softly so as to not disturb the serene silence that had settled. Drowsiness had her blinking blearily at Kaede.

"It should relieve you of the nightmares for a short while," Kaede explained shortly, voice low. Kagome shook her head slightly and slumped back, curling into her blankets like a lazy cat after a midday meal. Kaede watched her distantly, with a healer's critical eye. The combination of warmth and the liquid haze of the tea left her feeling cocooned and safe beneath the old woman's sharp gaze. The last thing she wondered before sleep took her was a vague thought; _the jewel was more soothing than even the best of teas... I wonder where it is...?_


	6. Pinnacle

**A/N: **Wow, nominated for Dokugas best drama award! Thank you! Please, if you haven't seen, go check it out and vote!

**Façade of Order**

_~0~_

"_And forget happiness, I'm fine_

_I'll forget everything in time."_

_-Innocence, _Airborne Toxic Event

_~0~_

Kagome waited patiently on the bench, the sun filtering through the evanescent leaves from a nearby birch. Kaede worked silently in her garden, hunched over and fisting weeds from the damp, dark soil. Neat rows of herbs and vegetables showed the old woman's peculiarity when it concerned her plot. It had been two days since Toku had visited her, asking her permission in Sesshomaru's plan. This morning he had appeared to see whether she was willing.

"_I am," _Kagome had said hesitantly, _"but could we be outside for it…?"_

Both Kaede and Toku had acquiesced graciously. After breakfast and a relaxing cup of tea, Toku settled her on the stone bench to rest as he went and grabbed some items that might stoke her memory. In all honesty, Kagome was unsure whether she even wanted to remember. The dreams she had been having left her feeling cold and dirty, as though some dark, oily shadow had taken home in her breast.

If she was going to remember, be _forced _to remember, then she would at least be as cleansed as much as possible by the sunlight.

Kagome heard him before she saw him; a heavy grunt and the clank of iron against wood. A second later he came around the corner of the hut, hefting two large chests over his broad shoulders. Kagome widened her eyes and made to stand, but thought better of it. He was a demon, and she a recovering human-he handled the chests just fine.

Kagome smiled softly as he approached, slipping the chests from his arms to thump heavily against the ground. They were solid cedar with an iron trim that had been rusted over. The water damage was obvious, leaving stained and swollen wood in some parts, though they were still sturdy enough.

Toku collapsed beside her on the bench, a tinge of pink to his ruddy cheeks.

"Surely those weren't too heavy for you?" Kagome quipped teasingly.

Toku snorted. "Of course not, young lady, but they were damn awkward to carry."

Kagome laughed in response, though the humor quickly slipped from her as she continued to study the chests.

"Which one first?" she finally asked.

Toku carelessly reached for the one closest and dragged it forward. The latch gave a stubborn squeal as he wrenched it open to reveal a limp pile of silks and soft wool cloths. They were damaged and crusty from the seawater, but even Kagome could tell that they had been lovely. Vibrant and detailed, stitched with delicate leaves and fluttering hummingbirds; this cloth would be used in a dress for a queen. Kagome ran her fingers over the ruined cloth mournfully before clasping her hands in her lap.

Toku looked at her expectantly, and she shrugged. "I'm certain this wasn't mine. I can't imagine ever having something so luxurious."

Toku gave her a measure look but flipped the lid shut, turning to force open the next chest. This contained a stack of what was once very fine parchment. Perhaps ledgers, maybe letters, possibly even a journal at some point. Now they were dry and brittle, the ink having run from the pages to leave blurred, illegible smudges. Kagome didn't even try to reach out and touch them, knowing the paper would collapse into dust with the merest jolt. How it survived this long was beyond her.

Kagome shrugged helplessly at Toku, and he sighed as he began to lug the chests back to wherever he had gotten them. The rest of the morning was spent looking through various waterlogged chests, and each of them looked as unfamiliar as the previous. Kaede kept a sharp eye on Kagome to ensure she wasn't unduly tired or stressed, but Kagome was perfectly content with the warm breeze and the memory hunting.

It wasn't until Toku appeared with a longer plywood box that Kagome tensed up. The wood was nowhere near as high class as the other chests had been, and the iron handles had been roughly shod against the sides. Something curdled in her belly and Kagome discovered she was done with this game and desperately wanted to escape.

But Toku was opening the chest expectantly, and Kagome was looking inside, and no evil gremlin or monstrous beast leapt out at her.

Something jerked at her heart as she laid eyes on the contents. Simple priestess robes, wooden slats with protective charms, and, lying delicately on top, a carefully carved bow, unstrung. It was a masterpiece of woodwork. Curling vines and symbols invoking true aim and a strait arrow were carved up the length. It almost felt like magic, and as Kagome brushed it with her fingers it felt warm beneath her touch.

"Oh…" Kagome breathed.

"_We are not trading this, Mama? We're just giving it away?"_

"_It's an offering, dear," her Mama replied. "To the temple. It is always good to ensure the Spirit's happiness."_

"_But it's so beautiful…."_

"_Are you interested in marksmanship, Kagome?"_

_Souta butted in. "Like Kagome could ever hit anything with it. She can't even hit me when I'm right next to her!"_

"_Hey!" Kagome cried indignantly, reaching to grab his collar._

"Do you remember something?"

Kagome blinked dazedly at Toku, the bow still in her hand. "I… no, not really," she replied. She glanced down at the bow. "May I have this?"

Toku stared thoughtfully at it for a second before shrugging. "I don't see why not. I doubt anyone else will claim it."

Kagome drew it up to her chest with a smile.

"In fact," Toku continued, "I will even string it for you; find some arrows as well. Are you skilled?"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't think so…."

"Well, once Kaede gives her approval I will even set up a little target for you."

Immediately Kagome protested. "That's too much, Toku! You really don't have to do that."

"It's my pleasure," Toku said with a grin. "Preferable to tending sheep or whittling more utensils for the kitchen women."

Kagome quirked a wry smile, but acquiesced. "Thank you."

O

Sesshomaru was lounging sedately beneath a tree when Toku approached him. His steady, emotionless gaze had been directed seawards, though he was quite aware of the boar's approach.

"I must assume," Sesshomaru murmured, " that the girl does not remember."

Toku didn't reply at first, instead settling himself on the opposite side of the towering oak to face the village. "Perhaps not in the way you intended."

"Do not play with me, Toku."

Toku snorted. "I would not do that, Leader. And if you are interested, the girl has a name now."

Sesshomaru's silence spoke volumes.

"Kagome," Toku said, "her name is Kagome."

"Interesting," Sesshomaru said flatly, "that she remembers her name and little else."

Toku shrugged, his tunic catching on the rough patches of bark. "Kaede said it is not abnormal for her memory to be so jumbled."

"Kaede has too soft of a heart."

Sesshomaru knew the old woman would protect the girl from his ministrations. She would feel it unjust to push the girl to remembering, feeling that it would do more harm than good. He wondered whether the lady healer understood his position as the Island's leader, and thus it's protector. Of the many things he had learned over the years, one of them was to expect the unexpected.

The girl being anything more that a mere girl would be unexpected, yes. Sesshomaru, though, would continue to be wary.

"By your demeanor I assume her name was not learned by dragging out the luggage."

"You'd assume correct. She remembered it during one of the nights. Kaede said she woke up a gibbering mess and was repeating her name over and over again."

Sesshomaru frowned just slightly, barely noticeable. "She is still having nightmares?"

"As far as I can tell, yes."

"Perhaps they will help her remember."

"You are a cold hearted demon."

Sesshomaru didn't deign a response. He could not disagree, and Toku was speaking too lightly for it to be taken seriously.

"As for the luggage," Toku continued, not expecting a response anyway, "she remembered nothing tangible."

Nothing tangible? Sesshomaru waited patiently.

"She had an interesting reaction to the box with the priestess attire. She wanted the bow."

"You gave her the bow," Sesshomaru stated the obvious, discontented.

"Yes," Toku agreed, "I did. I didn't see the harm in her having a bow. She's a harmless little thing, and she needs something for herself."

"Not only did she remember nothing, Toku, but you gave her a weapon."

"I don't think the girl's threat lies in slaughtering us with her tiny little bow."

Sesshoumaru quirked a brow. "You admit she is a threat."

Toku laughed. "Oh, leader, she's a threat in the way you would least expect it."

O

Dusk was falling and Sesshomaru found his mind in an unusual jumble. It was a new experience for him, and he did not relish it. His determination was considered unswayable by all, himself included. So when faced with a conundrum like the amnesiac, he was lost.

His path seemed as clear and strait as blown glass, yet when faced with Toku and Kaede's opinions he was troubled. They were so sure of their impressions, and both had never led him astray when faced with character judgment. Both were astute at reading people, and he trusted them as much as he trusted anybody.

He was sure the girl had remembered something even before he learned of her name. The uneasiness in her scent when he questioned her had little to do with nervousness; he knew secrecy when he smelled it.

Perhaps he should visit her. With the breath of lie in his nose he would be more determined, more resolute in his iron fisted dealings with her. The girl, Kagome, was an outsider. She would be dealt with accordingly, then sent on her way.

Tomorrow, perhaps the next day. This misplaced wavering would be straitened out and he could lead the isle efficiently once again. There were more important matters to worry about: surveillance, requests, trade. Jobs were picking up and the men needed to be in top shape to meet these demands.

Sesshomaru stood from his spot beneath the tree brushing the grass and dust from the rear of his trousers.

A waft of brine reminded him of other worries, ones that could be much more dire than a suspicious shipwreck victim. He allowed a small frown to show, then began to make a meandering path back to the village. Shadows ran long as the sun set, a blazing carriage eclipsing the far edge of the earth.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would fix the problems he could, and relieve the excess weight pressing heavily against his shoulders.

O

Kagome and Kaede were sitting peacefully before the fire, sipping tea. Silence had reigned for majority of the night, but an intensity hung in the air. Kaede had a thoughtful expression on her face, and kept looking over at Kagome in a scrutinizing fashion.

"Is everything alright, Lady Kaede?"

Kaede started, then shifted slightly. Her gaze was back on Kagome. "No, lass, there is nothing quite wrong…."

"You appear perturbed."

"Merely thoughtful. Do you have an inclination of any sort?"

Kagome blinked uncomprehendingly. "…Inclination?"

"Do you feel an affinity for anything. Perhaps cooking. Perhaps numbers. Maybe the social life…?"

Kagome frowned. The question was carefully phrased, but it was an obvious dig into her shaky memory. Kagome was not offended though, the question was a good one, and she had to analyze herself clinically to even begin to answer it.

"Well," Kagome murmured, "I love being outside. I love the sun, and breeze, and trees. But the ocean air seems unfamiliar to me…."

Kaede gave a silent nod.

Kagome continued. "The priestess chest seemed to be something I have seen before, but I am positive I was not a priestess."

Kagome pondered further. She had already had glimpses of memory, but they were thus far inconclusive. How much did she want to reveal of herself? All of them delved into her mind and thoughts with a ferocious tenacity. Perhaps it was not vicious curiosity, but Kagome had so little of herself already that the urge to keep something secretive was strong. Maybe it wasn't her right to be her own person quite yet, but that didn't mean Kagome wouldn't try. Once she learned more about herself, then she would decide who, and what, to tell.

In response to Kaede's expectant silence, Kagome just shrugged helplessly. It would not surprise her if Kaede could read some of these thoughts of hers, but Kaede would not pressure her. As gruff as the old woman was, she was still a healer at heart.

"I do not suspect you were a priestess before either," Kaede finally said. "Though maybe you were being offered to the temple. Youngest daughters often are."

Kagome wasn't quite sure of her age, but…. "Aren't I a little old?"

"Perhaps," Kaede replied, "but many young women are offered if marriage prospects become too difficult or expensive. I suspect many woman older than even you have entered in the service of the Kami."

Kagome didn't agree or disagree. The prospect didn't sit right with her, but there was no conclusive memory for this feeling; just an ill fitted feeling that she would never belong in such a setting. The harsh monastic lifestyle of a priestess was the antithesis of Kagome's bubbling personality.

But, in all honesty, how did she really know that?

Kagome sipped her tea so as to not respond. Kaede didn't continue with her questioning, but she fingered something thoughtfully in the ragged pocket of her apron. Kagome's eyes focused on the hypnotic motion, and something gnawed at her brain. Some magnetic feeling called to her, something warm and soft and lilting and so sorrowful. _Kagome,_ it whispered to her teasingly, wantonly.

Kaede withdrew her hand from the pocket and Kagome immediately snapped out of the trance, blinking desperately. The old healer watched her intently, one eye narrowed. She said nothing, but Kagome knew she had sensed her preoccupation.

"I must be getting tired," Kagome murmured, a halfhearted excuse. Her hands trembled slightly.

"I have kept you up too late," Kaede said cautiously. She stood slowly, knees cracking, and turned to set her tea on the work table. Kagome followed suit, grabbing Kaede's abandoned cup to dump the cool contents outside.

Kaede was banking the fire as Kagome crawled into her rumpled pallet. She wasn't lying when she said she was weary. Sleep quickly claimed her.

O

The ship creaked in reaction to the gusting wind. For weeks they had battled the chaotic weather, and finally it was turning to their benefit. They sliced through waves like a heroic sword, men scuttling from deck to masts to ensure the fastest route home.

At the forefront stood a man dressed mostly in red. His silver hair lashed like a whip in the wind and his golden eyes scowled ferociously at the endless see before them. He had made it a point to always have the quickest voyages possible, and this one was a week overdue to port. The sailors had endured his stormy temper with a good natured apathy. They were, after all, just as eager to get home.

Behind him approached another man with dark hair tied in a small qui. His violet eyes sparkled with mischievousness.

"Inuyasha," the man greeted lightly, "no matter how long you stare at the sea it will not give into your irritation."

Inuyasha growled, though with no real aggression. "Shut up, pervert."

Miroku shrugged, but a small smile lingered about his lips. "Only another day or so," he said conversationally.

"Too long."

"What is the hurry? Perhaps a welcoming lover?"

"Don't be stupid."

"Well," Miroku proclaimed, "I, for one, am quite excited to be welcomed by the kitchen women. They serve such nice, juicy-"

"I will toss you overboard right now if you do not shut up."

"-meat pies. Why, Inuyasya, I had no idea that your mind had such naughty tendencies."

Inuyasha shot Miroku a threatening stare, fangs revealed as he silently snarled. Miroku shrugged once more but stopped his teasing. He toed the boundary, but never crossed it.

"I wonder what the reaction will be when we arrive," Miroku said, on a more serious note.

"Who the fuck cares?" Inuyasha snapped, but his shoulders hunched slightly. He did not want to be seen as incompetent.

"This was an unavoidable delay," Miroku continued. "I have never seen such a vicious storm show up so quickly. We have traveled the seas for years and never experienced it. It was unnatural."

Inuyasha frowned, shifting restlessly.

"Ah," murmured Miroku, "but I guess now it does not matter; we are almost home."

Above them seagulls squawked. Land was nearing.

"Shut the fuck up, Miroku." Inuyasha said.


	7. Of Squabbles and Compromises

**A/N: **Noticed some formatting issues in the last chapter, so I will be fixing it and reposting it. I don't have Word right now, just a notepad, so I'm forced to be extravigilant. Reviews are greatly appreciated.

**Façade of Order**

_~0~_

"_What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog."_

_-Dwight D. Eisenhower_

_~0~_

A clean breeze filled the temple, rustling charm laden trees. Chimes tinkled delicately in the distance and the courtyard was empty, with the exception of a small girl with silver hair and violet eyes. She stood motionless beneath the branches, eyes closed in quiet contemplation, hands linked in the symbol of meditation in front of her chest. Her bare toes wriggled to find comfort on the cobblestone ground.

From the shrine came the whisper of a shoji door. A woman stepped out; donned in priestess robes and wearing a serene expression, she approached the hanyou girl with grace.

"Shiori," she murmured softly, patiently waiting as the girl pulled herself from the trance.

"High Priestess," Shiori finally replied, bowing to the high priestess respectfully.

"Restrict your formality today, Shiori," Kikyo said. "I have need of your services."

"Anything," Shiori said breathily. Wonder filled her at being useful to the High Priestess.

"A barrier will be constructed. It will need to encompass the entire temple. No one may pass unless they are of the sisterhood."

Shiori nodded raptly.

Kikyo studied the young hanyou clinically. Her dark gaze softened as she muttered to herself. "I had no wish to involve children…."

"I'm strong, High Priestess. I can do this."

Kikyo smiled. "I do not doubt your strength, Shiori."

Shiori resisted smiling back, forcing her expression to be as calm as summer pond. Kikyo took her eyes off the hanyou and looked out to the distance. A mountainous terrain surrounded them, but past those was a small town port.

The ship had not arrived, but she already knew it wouldn't. She had felt the explosion of energy, felt the Jewel's screams. Now she would have to leave the pure sanctuary of the temple to search before it fell into the wrong hands. It had been so long since she had ventured forth.

"I will be leaving in the morning," Kikyo said.

Shiori's eyes widened in consternation. "But-"

"I must," Kikyo interrupted. "You will protect your brethren in my absence. Your shield is stronger than mine ever will be. I should not take longer than three moons."

"Lady Kikyo!" Shiori exclaimed. "Could not someone else go? You are needed-"

"I am not needed here, and no one else can do this. I must depart. Please, do not argue, Shiori."

Shiori shut her mouth, swallowing her protests with difficulty. She was merely a novice, whereas Kikyo was the High Priestess. She had forgotten herself.

"Construct the barrier tonight, after supper," Kikyo said, then turned to pad away. Shiori watched her departure with foreboding eyes.

O

Hajime frowned into the darkness. It seemed much more consuming than usual, ominous. The muted sigh and snores of the sleeping men seemed deafening; his senses were on high alert. Something wasn't right. Hajime stalked noiselessly to the edge of the encampment, straining to see past the shadows.

The forest noises were missing. The crickets had gone silent and all the shuffling and rustling had disappeared. Hajime could not hear anything past that, but he had never had as intense hearing as the others. He was made with sharp daylight sight. Hawkish, he could see anything in detail from great distances. The night world left him practically blind.

Stealthily Hajime entered the encampment and moved to wake the first man. There was nothing tangible, but Sesshomaru had taught them to trust their instincts as well as there senses. The mission they had completed was not particularly dangerous, but there were many men with grudges who would slaughter them if they had a chance.

Hajime would prefer to make it back to the isle.

In a matter of minutes the sharp group of mercenaries were awake and packed. There was no speaking, hand signals being the only form of communication. Either way, no one questioned the sudden move.

Soon they were gone, the glade looking like it had never been inhabited. From the brush appeared a girl so white she seemed to be sucked of all color. In her delicate, childish hands, she held a mirror.

O

Toku frowned as the boatman finished his report. Things had been lurking. Watching the island with inhuman eyes in the shadows of the mainland wood. The villagers had taken to making offerings daily and warding the entrances to all their homes. No one went out past dusk.

"Tryin' to get to the isle, I imagine," the old man said, face crinkled in a scowl.

Toku nodded. "This is unusual. We have enemies, but no one…."

The boatman shrugged. It was none of his business what action they took, he was only reporting some of the mainland going-ons. He was the only man brave and skilled enough to cross the channel by himself. Having practically lived on the sea all his life, he could handle the choppy waves and tricky undercurrents. Thus it was delegated to him to collaborate with isle.

"If they start any violence, please inform us. We will deal with it."

The boatman smiled and nodded. A few minutes later he clunked down the dock to make his way back home.

Toku watched the man depart before turning to stride up the winding path to the village. Thoughts weighed heavily on his mind, and he pondered the source of this new trouble. Their information seemed lacking, and he wondered whether their network was secure. There had been no news on any new enemy movement; they were left in the dark, and it was uncomfortable feeling. Sesshomaru would not be happy.

Toku was walking through the village, wondering where the leader could have gone off to when he passed the medical hut. He would not have given it a second thought, except he figured he could pop into to offer Kagome a quick early morning greeting, if she was up.

He was about to enter when the low murmur of voices stopped him. That was not Kaede and Kagome, no. In fact, the deep masculine voice was none other than Sesshomaru himself.

Toku paused, then remained outside the door for some good old fashioned eavesdropping.

O

Kagome was groggily sipping her tea when Sesshomaru entered the hut unannounced. Kaede had stepped out to retrieve breakfast from the kitchens, and Kagome was content to stare at the wall in a sleepy haze. At least, until Sesshomaru came in.

Kagome clenched her tea cup, a scowl forming on her lips. Before any biting words could spew forth though, she remembered the promise she had made Toku. She would give Sesshomaru a chance. It was true, she barely had two meetings to judge him with, and perhaps given the situation, in his shoes, she would have acted the same way. With her unreliable memories, she had no way of telling.

"Good morning," Kagome murmured, not moving from her pallet, but sitting up a little straighter.

Sesshomaru nodded, his piercing eyes studying her intently. Kagome refrained from frowning at his lacking responsive, but instead offered a tentative smile. Silently Sesshomaru padded to her side and proceeded to settle himself on the floor. His legs were crossed, but his back sat straighter than the strongest cedar.

Kagome shifted awkwardly as the silence drew out. Sesshomaru's gaze had long since slid to stare impassively at the small fire crackling merrily in the hearth.

Kagome coughed as she finished her tea and set the empty mug beside her. "Is there a reason for this visit?"

Sesshomaru turned to stare at her again. "You have remembered your name."

"Yes…."

"Kagome."

Kagome ignored the odd shiver that ran down her spine as he murmured her name. It was disconcerting, and completely uncalled her. And… not unpleasant. Disturbing.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"What else have you remembered." Even though it should have been a question, it sounded more akin to a demand.

"I…" Kagome trailed. "I can't say. It's confusing."

Sesshomaru waited.

"I think I lived in a city. I have a family. And the ship I was on… it had been attacked…."

Just enough of the truth, she thought. Just enough.

Sesshomaru seemed to ponder this. "Elaborate on the ships."

Kagome pursed her lips. "I can't do that. I won't do that."

Finally his face morphed just a little bit. His eyes flashed warningly, and his brows lowered just a tinge. "You will."

"No, I can't do that. I don't want to."

"I am not here to negotiate."

"Neither am I," Kagome snapped back. The stubborn expectancy that everyone would do as he said was about to be defied. She would not talk about what she remembered. It was too awful. Too fresh. Later, maybe; she knew if she spoke now she would cry, and she refused to do that before this cold demon.

"You seem to be under the impression you have a choice," Sesshomaru said, voice low and unyielding. "Perhaps we have been too soft. Improvisations can be made."

"Are you _threatening _me?" Kagome asked, aghast. "You told me before that I was not a prisoner. Along with being unfeeling and slow, do you lack honor as well?"

There was a frozen silence, one in which Kagome immediately regretted her hasty, angry words. Around this man, it seemed she could not hold her tongue.

"I'm sorry-"

But he was already standing, striding outside the medical hut without a backward glance.

O

Sesshomaru was furious. He was unused to being questioned. In the rare circumstance that it _did _happen the offending person was usually silenced. Permanently.

But he could not do that with the girl. He strode from the medical hut, tense and enraged. He glanced Toku by the door, but ignored the boar to continue down the street. He would not be in a reasonable mood, and Toku's light hearted bantering might bring about a grave injury, and not to Sesshomaru. It would be best for him to separate himself from the village outright, for the time being.

Just the girl refusing to answer him was enough to bring about irritation, but the last comment had almost caused his beast to take over. He had to mentally battle himself for the control which usually came so easy to him. He desired to slam her to the ground and-

He did not know, but either way he refused to give in to petty rage.

"_Along with being unfeeling and slow, do you lack honor as well?"_

The impertinence. To question his mental capacities was lowly enough, but to throw his honor out the window?

Sesshomaru could not easily forgive such hastily flung words. The girl was quick to anger and even quicker to bite. She was not a rational little human, and Sesshomaru despised irrational people. He needed to get her off the isle as soon as possible. Or maybe he would just keep his distance.

Staring at her with her ridiculous blue eyes, like she had a right to be angry at him. And for some reason… she had still tried to apologize.

Sesshomaru did not understand humans. And he especially did not understand Kagome.

O

Kagome stared down at her clasped hands, trying to blink back the embarrassed tears. Toku had entered the hut only a few seconds after Sesshomaru's departure. Silently he grabbed her mug and proceeded to make another cup of tea.

"Well," Toku finally said after handing the steaming mug back to her, "you certainly riled him up good."

Kagome blinked, her sulk deepening.

"Perhaps you spoke harshly-"

"_I know." _Kagome felt her eyes start to sting. Maybe it wasn't reasonable, but she felt like crying. Kami, why didn't she think before she spoke? "I didn't mean to. I know I was completely out of line."

Toku frowned. "Now, lass, don't take all the blame. I heard. It was not all you."

"As you said, he's just being a leader."

Toku refrained from commenting that Sesshomaru seemed to be interested more than just a leader should be. Kagome still continued to blink back her tears while gripping the blankets in tight fists.

"Chin up," Toku murmured gently. "Chin up. This is not easy, but other's have survived worse, and you are healing."

"I know," Kagome sighed. "I'm being selfish. This is nothing, I am just so _frustrated."_

"Understandably so."

They let silence reign for only a few moments, soon interrupted as Kaede banged in with a wicker basket.

"Toku," she greeted amiably, "I did not get enough food for you."

Toku guffawed. "No need, Lady, I will be taking my leave. I'm certain the men will desire my presence in the breakfast hall."

Kaede snorted. "They probably welcome the reprieve of your absence."

"Hurtful words, hurtful words!" Toku feigned depression: slumped shoulders and a comically wayward expression.

Kagome giggled, and Toku's grin widened at her pleasure.

"Unfortunately, I must bid farewell now. Good morning, lovely ladies. I will return in the afternoon."

"Off with you!" Grumped Kaede, though with an amused smile on her own cracked lips.

They settled down to have their breakfast as Toku took his leave.

O

Toku strode through the village, intent on finding Sesshomaru now that the dog demon had calmed. Hopefully. It only took him two tries before he found the stoic leader leaning against a large tree on a hill overlooking the sea.

"Are you trying a new method?"

Sesshomaru glanced at him, not deigning to respond.

"Because I can't imagine brute strength and degrading comments to be the best way to deal with an injured girl."

"You underestimate her."

"You are detrimental to her."

Toku's frown was fatherly and disappointed, but he was not angry. "You're wariness is understandable, Sesshomaru, but you are utilizing it wrong. The girl is too stubborn for your interrogations." He sighed. "She will clam up further, I promise you."

"I am not in the habit of changing my ways."

"Do not change, but perhaps don't threaten."

Sesshomaru slid Toku a wry glance. "I should punish you for eavesdropping."

Toku grinned. "You two were too loud for anyone passing by not to. Since when did you start arguing with humans?"

"Like you said, she is stubborn."

Toku laughed. "A right spitfire, that one."

Sesshomaru didn't respond though, instead studiously gazing into the distance. Toku followed his stare and noticed the vague speck in the distance.

"Prepare the docks," Sesshomaru ordered before striding down the hill.

Toku moved to the village to inform the men.

O

Kagome was kneeled in the soft soil of the garden, helping Kaede pull weeds, when a group of children came barreling by in a whirl of laughter and giggles. Kagome paused as Kaede straitened.

"Children!" Kaede snapped, and they all froze with wide, guilty eyes. "What is the meaning of this ruckus?"

"Lady Kaede," one of the braver girls spoke, "the ship has returned! They're finally back!"

A smile recognizing smile twitched on Kaede's lips. "Be off with you then," she shooed, "but behave!"

The children shuffled off, excitement toned down to a more muted noise until the got away from the hut. Kaede bent back over to begin digging, but paused when she noticed Kagome had yet to move.

"Something wrong, lass?"

Kagome frowned. "A ship? What ship, Lady Kaede?"

"Ah, forgive me-you have acclimated so well. It is our trading ship. They leave periodically to collect supplies for the island, stuff we could not get anywhere near here. They are late, so everyone will be more excited than usual."

"Oh…" Kagome mused. "You must be happy."

"I would not know about that. I suspect we will have many more visitors now."

"Who?"

Kaede scowled. "Sesshomaru's brother will be arriving, as well his companion, a devious monk."

Kagome imagined what Sesshomaru's brother could be like, and imagined a man as cold and unforgiving as the island leader. "I would prefer to avoid Sesshomaru's brother."

"Hmmm," Kaede mumbled noncommittally. They continued to work in silence, but Kagome soon grew weary and moved to lounge on the stone bench. She wished Toku would visit, but he would probably be busy with the arrival of the ship.

Kagome frowned and prepared herself for a boring few days.


	8. Meetings and Mishaps

**Façade of Order**

~0~

_Once I saw a little birdCome hop, hop, hop__;_

_So I cried, "Little bird,Will you stop, stop, stop?"_

_And was going to the windowTo say, "How do you do?_

_But he shook his little tail,And far way he flew._

_-_Mother Goose

~0~

Toku let out a gusty laugh as Inuyasha and Miroku disembarked the ragged trading ship. He clapped both on the back, earning a grin from the monk and a scowl from the hanyou. The rest of the men continued to unload the supplies, a steady stream of demons and humans passing crates to be stacked neatly along the sturdy dock.

"We were startin' to get worried about you!" Toku exclaimed.

"Keh!" Inuyasha muttered.

Miroku's blue eyes twinkled with good humor. "If it weren't for the storm, we would have been fine. Inuyasha is sore from not making deadline."

Inuyasha's scowl deepened, but Toku's grin just widened. "Ah, pride," he teased, "the family of dogs has always had it in spades."

The boar demon sobered for a moment. "You spoke of a storm, monk. Perhaps that is the same one that battered the island."

"It was quite far away from here," Miroku replied skeptically.

Toku glanced from the dock, scanning the cliffs thoughtfully. "It was not quite… natural."

"Neither was…. Whatever brought it about must have been exceedingly powerful." Glancing at the busy men, and the women who had gathered to greet their loved ones, he commented, "I see it did not harm us too much."

"Not us, per se…" Toku trailed, attracting the sharp gaze of Inuyasha.

"Out with it, man," Inuyasha snapped.

"Perhaps it would be best to speak to Sesshomaru of it first. And perhaps leave Lady Kaede alone for a few days."

Inuyasha growled. "I don't like this, Toku. Don't lie to me."

Toku raised a quelling hand. "I am not lying. You will be told in full, but Sesshomaru should be present to offer his input and plans."

"'Nothin' to do with the bastard," Inuyasha grumbled.

Toku snorted amusedly at the half-brother's long standing rivalry. He would not be surprised to find them dueling at the practice pits before sundown.

O

The cargo was unloaded and being hefted up the hill to the little village by the time Sesshomaru was lovingly greeted by Inuyasha. He dodged the lethal edge of the blade as it hurled towards him, simultaneously unsheathing his own Bakusaiga.

"Hanyou," he greeted impassively.

"Bastard," Inuyasha growled, a ghost a smirk tugging at his thin lips.

"The sea has done nothing for your manners." Sesshomaru observed.

"And your skills are rusty," Inuyasha taunted. "How long did it take you to notice me?"

Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow, then sheathed his sword. It hummed discontentedly, but obeyed. Inuyasha scowled.

"Don't wimp out, bastard!"

Sesshomaru sniffed imperiously. "While you have time for games, brother, I do not. Run along and play with the monk."

Inuyasha snarled and swung Tetsuaiga in frustration, forgoing skill for brute strength. Once again, Sesshomaru dodged.

"I do not think it is my skills that are rusty," he commented lightly.

Inuyasha sheathed Tetsuaiga and approached his brother. Sesshomaru waited patiently.

"Pansy," Inuyahsa said, with no real maliciousness. "The damn boar demon said I needed to talk to you about something.'"

"I can't imagine what."

"He said the storm."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. The storm, and it's results-particularly the girl who survived-were an irritant to him, to say the least. He did not want to explain this to his brother. True to his nature, he stayed silent, mouth clamped shut.

"If I have to work to get this stupid story from you," Inuyasha complained, "it had better be hella good."

Together they began to stride up the hillside to help store the furs, meats, and tools that Inuyasha's voyage had rendered.

"There is no story," Sesshomaru finally relented flatly. "A foreign ship was destroyed on the coast. There was one survivor."

"Huh."

"I do not trust her."

Inuyasha snorted, muttering something that sounded like _'big surprise there.'_

Sesshomaru slanted a glare at his younger brother. "Do not mock, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha shrugged rebelliously, knowing it would irritate Sesshomaru further. "So it's a she, hm? Why is she still here?"

Sesshomaru stopped, standing stiffly on the edge of the village, not yet willing to enter the bustle of huts and homes. His eyes were not focused on Inuyasha, but in the distance.

"She claims to have amnesia. I cannot just toss her in the forest like a wild creature."

Inuyasha's brow furrowed, but he shrugged. A female ship-wreck victim meant little to him, though he was curious at the animosity that seemed to leak from Sesshomaru as he spoke of her. It was disconcerting, and highly unusual.

"Well," Inuyasha commented, "the storm hit us too, and we were damn far away from here, so it was big."

Sesshomaru's gaze sharpened. "I suspected unnatural forces, but it is of little concern. We have had other problems."

Seriousness entered Inuyasha's face. "Tell me."

O

Kagome was struggling with some hemming that Kaede had given her, squinting at it blearily in the flickering firelight.

"Blast it!" She finally cursed, tossing the trousers and the needle in her lap. "This is ridiculous and incomprehensible!"

Kaede stared at the hemming flatly. "Well," she commented dryly. "We know you were not a tailor or a high born mistress."

Kagome sniffed, staring mournfully at her needle-pricked fingers. "I just don't understand," Kagome whispered. "Am I not good at anything?"

Kaede stood from her seat, hunching to gently take the trousers from Kagome's lap. "Don't be ridiculous, lass. We'll find your skill set, no matter how long it takes. No one is completely useless."

Kagome sighed, resting an elbow on her crossed legs. She was sitting on her bedding, feeling useless and forlorn. The day had passed slowly. Everyone had been busy squaring away the cargo, and though Kagome could hear them, no one had come to see her. Kagome was grateful that Sesshomaru had not come to see her, but she missed Toku's bubbling humor.

With a sigh, Kagome drew her legs up to her chin, wrapping her arms around her shins as she stared into the fire. She knew she looked like a pouting youngster, but she couldn't help the dark mood that surrounded her. Like the dreams, it was sticky and weighty, refusing to leave her no matter how unreasonable she knew it was. Her chest felt heavy.

Kaede noticed the mood change and stood to prepare a cup of tea.

"Drink this," she ordered, shoving the tin into Kagome hands, "then it's to bed with you."

Kagome scrunched her nose, but easily obeyed. She would not argue with Kaede, no matter how much she disagreed. She owed the woman too much. Also, the old lady could be quite fierce when challenged.

Kagome sipped the steaming tea thoughtfully as Kaede settled down once more in her rickety chair, fixing the hemming that Kagome had unwittingly massacred. Kagome watched the healer's brisk hands studiously; try as she might, though, she could not understand the pattern of thread. With a quick gulp, Kagome finished off her tea, then climbed beneath the furs to sleep.

O

"_Do you know what we could do to you?"_

_She didn't cry or respond, instead glaring at him, trying to force the tears back into her eyes._

"_These men are brutal," he whispered. "They could tear down your fragile defense in minutes, and you would be mine." A cool finger trailed down her cheek, her neck, her collarbone where the male shirt flapped open. _

"_I could make you mine," he whispered longingly, his red eyes studying her body. "You and the Jewel. So sweet. So tender. So __**innocent."**_

_She shuddered, biting her lip and forcing the scream down her throat. She still had it. It was hidden-_

O

She was shivering. She hadn't screamed, hadn't cried out; instead she remained frozen beneath the furs, staring fearfully into the darkness of the hut. What was _wrong _with her? Why couldn't the evil leave her mind? Why couldn't she remember the good things?

It was a puzzle she didn't want to untangle, a maze she never wanted to step foot in. Carefully, Kagome slipped from her blankets, quietly standing and slipping on the trousers Kaede had acquired for her. The old woman snored in a pallet a few feet away.

Kagome needed to think, to feel the brisk breeze on her cheeks and moonlight against her skin. The hut was confining. Stepping into her boots, Kagome padded outside to round the building. The moon was watery and only half full, but it lit the herb garden well enough. Kagome shivered as she sat on the cold stone bench, staring blankly, trying to straiten her muddled emotions.

Something felt missing, something important. A key. The center of a painting that all the images revolved around, but the observer had no clue as to what the painting was actually _about. _

Kagome was conflicted, to say the least. Her heart and mind were in a turmoil: she _needed _to remember, to find her path home. Yet, at the same time, she was terrified. The nightmares were something she could never imagine on her own, they were too horrific.

"_I could make you mine…."_

His voice instilled panic and rage in her. His tone was that of a lover's whisper, but with the sharp edge of a deadly, malicious sword.

Kagome tensed as she heard a whisper of cloth and a small _thump_ to her left. She flinched, staring wildly at the tall oak the noise had come from.

What she saw was unexpected, and unfamiliar. It was a man, a demon, with a red outfit and silver hair. His face was shadowed by the dark blanket of branches, but she was positive he was _glaring _at her.

He stepped forward, a scowl on his features, his gold eyes intent on her.

"Who the _hell _are you?"

Kagome gaped for a mere second before indignation erupted forth.

"Excuse me?" She replied sharply. "That is _rude!"_

The man snorted, and she became aware of the twitching puppy ears at the top of his skull. The adorable vision of them flicking back and forth made her nearly want to melt, but Kagome held on to her stubborn irritation.

"Like I give a fuck," the man replied bluntly.

"Hmph!" Kagome said, crossing her arm and lifting her chin.

The man did the same thing, crossing his arms tensely, though he was standing while she still sat.

"Well," Kagome snapped, "I wont tell you my name until you tell me yours."

The man sputtered. "I asked you first, wench!"

"So?" Kagome asked primly.

The man growled, but it was an empty threat. Kagome waited with an imperious air, put on only to annoy him.

"Keh!" He spat. A long pause. "Inuyasha."

Kagome's lips twitched. "Kagome."

"Keh." His gaze slid to her, than away again.

The hair, the eyes, the uptight demeanor… this must be Sesshomaru's brother.

"So," Inuyasha grunted, "you're the survivor."

Kagome frowned slightly, a heavy weight settling over her chest. "Yes, I guess you could say that."

"You're not as dangerous looking as he said."

Kagome's brow furrowed. Her? Dangerous? "Who said that?"

"The bastard."

Again, confusion reigned. "I don't know you've been talking to," Kagome said cautiously, "but I'm probably the least dangerous thing on this island."

"You look it; weak human thing."

"_Excuse me?" _Kagome stood, fists clenched at her side. It was late at night, maybe verging on early morning, but she wasn't even attempting to keep her voice low any more. "I said I wasn't dangerous! Not that I was weak! That's completely different!"

"Pfft! No, it's not. Weak is weak."

Kagome growled, a fair imitation of a demon growl, which caught Inuyasha's attention. "What are you-" He started, but was immediately cut-off as Kagome strode forward and grabbed his forelock. He was a good half a head taller than her, but Kagome was not going to be intimidated. Instead, she pulled his head down and shouted into his face.

"You are the rudest demon I have met! Who do you think you are? Did your mother not teach you any manners? Well, it's time for you to learn!" With each sentence she tugged viciously on his hair.

Inuyasha's expression had shifted from petulant to panicked. In a flash he pulled away from her and leapt into the strong oak branches. Kagome followed until she was right beneath him.

"Come back down here!"

"No!"

"Coward!"

"Crazy!"

"I'm not the one hiding in a tree!"

"Bitch! You're a lunatic!"

"_What _did you call me!"

"I said-"

"Come down here and say that to my face!"

Both were out of breath and glaring at each other. Inuyasha clutched his tree branch like a lifeline, and Kagome refused to move from her spot beneath him.

"I'm not moving until you come down," she threatened.

"I can outrun you anyway, slow human," Inuyasha replied.

"I'll still hunt you down. You have to sleep sometime."

"So do you!"

"What in all of the Kami Great Spirits are _you two doing_?"

Kagome whirled around and Inuyasha flinched, both turning to see a scowling Kaede. She shot both a quelling glare. Kagome ducked to stare shamefully at the ground. Inuyasha murmured an embarrassed "Keh!"

"You are both adults," grouched the old healer, "and you are out here acting like common miscreants. I would not be surprised if you have woken half the village by now. Have you taken leave of your senses?"

"Sorry, Lady Kaede," Kagome whispered.

"Keh," Inuyasha said again.

"Inuyasha!" Kaede snapped. "I will thank you to leave my patient alone!" His silence was the only response, but she didn't seem to expect much else. "Kagome," Kaede added sternly, "next time at least wait until daylight."

"Yes, Lady Kaede."

"Now, come inside. To bed with ye."

Kagome followed the old woman inside, but not before shooting Inuyasha a vengeful glare. He scowled back at her, though he didn't move from his branch.

O

When Toku left the main hall that morning, full to bursting with breakfast, he was faced with a sulky Inuyasha. The hanyou clung to the roof of the building in front of him, a telling scowl on his clear features. Toku's brow shot up, but he quelled the smile that threatened to burst forth. He wondered what could have the sensitive hanyou in such a snit.

"Good morning, Inuyasha," Toku greeted amiably.

Inuyasha snorted.

"I see you're in fine spirits this morning."

Inuyasha didn't respond, instead dropping silently from the hut to walk beside the hulking boar demon. After a few minutes Toku proceeded with conversation.

"Is there something troubling you, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha didn't respond immediately, his gaze staring intently in the distance. Finally he grumbled, "I met the survivor."

"Ah, Kagome," Toku smiled, "such a sweet girl."

A snort burst from Inuyasha. "She's crazy."

Toku's brow, once again, shot up. "Now, I know she's been through a harrowing experience-"

"Downright lunatic," Inuyasha interrupted, expression black. "Stupid, aggressive human."

"Aggressive?" Toku echoed.

They had turned the corner to the training grounds. Already men were practicing. Some battered helpless dummies, while others dueled in various forms of combat. Sesshomaru was on the opposite side, watching the men with a keen eye, completely silent. Toku knew the dog demon was weighing skill, ability and teamwork. Who worked well with who; what missions individuals could be sent on.

Toku turned his attention back to the hanyou. "Perhaps," Toku said gently, "you just need to get to know her better. She is quite a nice girl."

"-believe it when I see it," grumbled Inuyasha.

Toku grinned. "I'll take you up on that, pup. I will be visiting her this afternoon. You, I think, will join me."

"Like hell."

"Mmm," Toku said, because Inuyasha's face was not its usual stubborn set. The young man was curious, which would ensure that he would join the boar. For all his prickly ways, the boy wasn't so bad.

Toku left the hanyou to his thoughts, eager to join into the fighting ground fray.


End file.
